Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former prime minister of Denmark, told the Financial Times that Trump is using Greenland as a “weapon of mass distraction from real threats,” such as Russia's war against Ukraine.
— For me it was a painful process. Since childhood, I have viewed the United States as the natural leader of the free world. I even talked about the US as the world's policeman, said Rasmussen, who sent Danish troops to fight alongside the Americans in Afghanistan.
“Now we see that the United States is using language that is quite close to that of the gangsters that it should keep in check in Moscow, Beijing, etc.,” he added.
Read also: Donald Trump wants Greenland for the US. The purchase amount was staggering
The dispute over Greenland
Trump shocked Europe with his aggressive rhetoric against NATO ally Denmark, insisting he needed to wrest control of Greenland from Copenhagen and saying he could use military force to do so.
Denmark, Greenland and the US decided this week to set up a high-level working group to discuss whether a compromise is possible on the future of the vast Arctic island.
But a dispute arose almost immediately over the scope of its work: The White House said the group would hold “technical talks on the acquisition of Greenland,” while Denmark maintained that its “red line” was that Greenland was not for sale.
Rasmussen, who was prime minister of Denmark from 2001 to 2009 and then headed NATO for five years, said Trump was well versed in distraction techniques.
— What actually worries me is that the world's attention is currently focused on something that poses no threat to either Europe or the United States – namely Greenland, friendly U.S. ally — instead of what should be the focus right now: how can we force Putin to come to the negotiating table on Ukraine? – he said in an interview with the FT.
President Trump has repeatedly spoken about the need for the United States to take over Greenland. He recently speculated that if the US does not take control of Greenland, China or Russia will do so. He rejected other solutions, such as increasing the presence of US troops there and the NATO mission on the island proposed by Germany. In a recent interview with the New York Times, he said the US may have to “choose” between Greenland and NATO.
Read also: The minister explains why we will not send soldiers to Greenland
