Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declined to say Wednesday whether the United States was still in the market to buy Greenland.
“Our objective is very clear. We have been honest about it. We want to make sure there are a safe and prosperous Faroe Islands, Greenland, “Pompeo said in an interview with a Danish journalist. Pompeo met on Wednesday with the foreign ministers of Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands to discuss a security alliance .
“So you’re not in the Arctic Islands market anymore?” asked the journalist.
“We are trying to obtain prosperity and security for our good friends here,” replied the secretary.
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In August 2019, reports circulated that the Trump administration wanted to try to buy Greenland. Trump addressed the rumors, saying that Denmark has been losing money by keeping Greenland under its control.
“Essentially it is a big real estate business. There are a lot of things you can do. It hurts Denmark a lot because they are losing almost $ 700 million a year from running it,” he said. “So they take it with big losses, and strategically for the United States, it would be good. And we are a great ally of Denmark and we help Denmark and we protect Denmark.”
Trump said he could visit Greenland in the near future, but stated that the problem was not a priority for the administration.
The Greenland Foreign Ministry then ruled out the possibility on Twitter, saying Greenland is “open for business, not for sale.”
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“We have good cooperation with the US, and we see it as an expression of increased interest in investing in our country and the possibilities we offer,” the island government said on its website. “Of course Greenland is not for sale.”
“Greenland is not Danish. Greenland is Greenlandic,” said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. “I persistently hope this is not something that is meant seriously.”
Later, Trump joined the jokes about the Greenland attempt, tweeting a retouched image of the country with a Trump tower. “I promise not to do this to Greenland!” the president wrote.
In April, the United States announced that it would deliver a $ 12.1 million aid package to Greenland and open a consulate on the Arctic island.
Aid, aimed at countering Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic region, focused on energy, tourism and education.
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“We have again developed, in consultation with the Kingdom of Denmark and the Greenland government, a $ 12.1 million financing package to drive this new beginning – this rebirth, if you will – of our commitment in Greenland,” an official state he told Fox News.
