Trump postpones meeting with Denmark's leader over Greenland comments

[mystery-ak]

Trump postpones meeting with Denmark's leader over Greenland comments
By Brett Samuels and Brandon Conradis - 08/20/19 07:58 PM EDT


Trump postpones meeting with Denmark's leader over Greenland comments
© Getty Images

President Trump on Tuesday announced he was postponing a planned meeting with the prime minister of Denmark after she shot down his talk of possibly purchasing Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory.

"Denmark is a very special country with incredible people, but based on Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s comments, that she would have no interest in discussing the purchase of Greenland, I will be postponing our meeting scheduled in two weeks for another time," Trump tweeted.


"The Prime Minister was able to save a great deal of expense and effort for both the United States and Denmark by being so direct. I thank her for that and look forward to rescheduling sometime in the future!" he added.

more
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/458179-trump-says-hes-postponing-meeting-with-denmarks-leader-over-greenland

[skeeter]

I fully accept that buying Greenland could be a good thing for the US but I don’t understand this at all.

[TomSea]

After the bust of Russia in selling Alaska, it just doesn't seem prudent, that Denmark, a small country would ever sell Greenland. Who knows what the future may be? Perhaps, it will be more inhabited in the future. One would really have to pay a very handsome amount for it and I have no idea.

[corbe]

Trump cancels Denmark trip after PM says Greenland isn't for sale

Dareh Gregorian
 
1 hr ago
 
President Donald Trump is calling off an upcoming trip to Denmark after its prime minister rebuffed his interest in buying Greenland, a Danish territory, the White House announced on Tuesday.

"Denmark is a very special country with incredible people, but based on Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s comments, that she would have no interest in discussing the purchase of Greenland, I will be postponing our meeting scheduled in two weeks for another time," Trump tweeted.

Trump was invited on an official state visit by the Queen of Denmark. White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere confirmed later on Tuesday the entire trip was off.

<..snip..>

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/trump-cancels-denmark-trip-after-pm-says-greenland-isnt-for-sale/ar-AAG5gX0?ocid=ientp

[Absalom]

After the bust of Russia in selling Alaska, it just doesn't seem prudent, that Denmark, a small country would ever sell Greenland. Who knows what the future may be? Perhaps, it will be more inhabited in the future. One would really have to pay a very handsome amount for it and I have no idea.

------------------------------------------------
Can we get real for a moment?
Greenland's land mass is 835,000 sq. mi. and is rich in energy resources, as geologists have proven.
Denmark's land mass is 17,000 sq. mi. while it burns its limited coal and imports LNG.
Additionally, Greenland has become increasingly autonomous this century alone
while Denmark has neither the financial resources nor engineering expertise to exploit those resources.
Betting here is that the Danes are NOT the deciders in this matter!!!

[TomSea]

------------------------------------------------
Can we get real for a moment?
Greenland's land mass is 835,000 sq. mi. and it's rich in energy resources, as geologists have proven.
Denmark's land mass is 17,000 sq. mi. while it burns its limited coal and imports LNG.
Additionally, Greenland has become increasingly autonomous this century alone
while Denmark has neither the financial resources nor engineering expertise to exploit those resources.
Betting here is that the Danes are NOT the deciders in this matter!!!

We are real, I am at least, Denmark is tiny, Denmark probably wants to keep that land.

Cite all the figures you want till eternity.

Also, the land is livable. Denmark may be able to capitalize on that. Farming and so on.

[TomSea]

This is either a publicity stunt by Trump or a faux pas. Stories come out now, that Denmark is "surprised" to Denmark found the postponement insulting.  Not good foreign policy here.  This may well be for Trump's supporters but I don't find it a smart move.

Denmark in disbelief as Trump cancels trip over Greenland sale: The Morning Rundown
"Are parts of the U.S. for sale? Alaska? Please show more respect," one Danish lawmaker said.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/morning-briefing/denmark-disbelief-trump-cancels-trip-over-greenland-sale-morning-rundown-n1044721

Yes, I find this conduct inappropriate like the Danes.

Their Minister too, is "anti-immigration" on the issues.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/08/21/trump-picked-fight-over-greenland-with-an-unlikely-target-denmarks-anti-immigration-prime-minister/

[libertybele]

Another hissy fit by our POTUS!  Good grief.

[corbe]

Former Danish diplomats hammer Trump on trip cancellation: 'Total chaos'

By Owen Daugherty  - 08/21/19 07:30 AM EDT 

Several former Danish diplomats slammed President Trump after he pulled out of a meeting with Denmark’s leaders after the prime minister made clear Greenland is not for sale.

Trump’s decision to postpone a state visit to Denmark after his desire to buy Greenland was rejected prompted former prime minister Kristian Jensen to call the situation “total chaos,” according to Reuters.

“Total chaos with @realDonaldTrump and cancellation of state visit to Denmark. It has gone from a big opportunity for strengthened dialogue between allies to a diplomatic crisis,” Jensen tweeted.

“Everyone should know Greenland is not for sale,” she added, echoing remarks made by Greenland’s foreign minister last week.

Former foreign minister Martin Ledegaard told a Danish broadcaster TV2 that Trump’s behavior is “grotesque” and he was “throwing a hissy fit.”

<..snip..>

https://thehill.com/policy/international/europe/458190-former-danish-diplomats-hammer-trump-on-trip-cancellation-total

[Cyber Liberty]

I fully accept that buying Greenland could be a good thing for the US but I don’t understand this at all.

I don't either.  This Greenland business wasn't even up for discussion a few weeks ago, and now it's an issue that causes the cancellation of a summit?

[TomSea]

There are lots of "Scandinavian" voters too. Something to acknowledge. All we can do is hope, it's not a big deal.

[bilo]

I fully accept that buying Greenland could be a good thing for the US but I don’t understand this at all.

Think rare earth minerals and open shipping lanes.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Is this April fool's? What is Trump doing here? He's serious about buying Greenland? Someone please talk me down (as Madcow would say).

[jpsb]

Think rare earth minerals and open shipping lanes.

Think Russia or China getting rights to build a base there. Denmark does not possess the ability to defend Greenland, the
Dans are getting a free ride on Uncle Sam. It makes perfect sense that Greenland should become a US territory.

[skeeter]

Think rare earth minerals and open shipping lanes.

I can see that. I just don’t understand the negotiating tactics being employed. He’s treating the Danes like they were Norks.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Another hissy fit by our POTUS!  Good grief.

This is like Alzheimers territory here. I'm wondering if some are right about Trump unfitness for the job. He did tweet out that he was cancelling his meeting due to Denmark not wanting to sell Greenland.

[TomSea]

https://theweek.com/speedreads/860312/trump-says-canceled-denmark-trip-because-prime-minister-calling-idea-buying-greenland-absurd-not-nice

Trump says he canceled Denmark trip because the prime minister calling his idea of buying Greenland 'absurd' was 'very not nice'

Plausible explanation but not a very good one. "All they had to say is "no". So, this is what the admin is saying this was about. In effect, being rude.

[TomSea]

Think Russia or China getting rights to build a base there. Denmark does not possess the ability to defend Greenland, the
Dans are getting a free ride on Uncle Sam. It makes perfect sense that Greenland should become a US territory.

I've certainly heard something about China building something in the North Seas/Arctic circle, there may be more to this than we know. That is so.

"All they had to say was no",  https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-cancel-denmark-greenland-1455533

This is being way way too sensitive.

If I were Prez, why even make such a question public? There are diplomats, they can ask these things. I consider this an error but probably not a major one.  We should respect Denmark and all countries, well, within reason.... I'm starting to be a bit put off that we might coddle some countries and then, have something like this with Denmark, probably considered an ally, etc.

But Russian, Chinese bases or subs or military way up there, that's a legit concern and for the experts.

[Absalom]

We are real, I am at least, Denmark is tiny, Denmark probably wants to keep that land.
Cite all the figures you want till eternity.
Also, the land is livable. Denmark may be able to capitalize on that. Farming and so on.

----------------------------------------
Denmark can want what it wishes but reality intervenes w/facts.
Greenland is 50 X the size of Denmark w/85% of its hilly and rocky surface inside the
Arctic Circle and covered w/a hard ice sheath making the land unavailable for agriculture.
As a consequence, the Danes provide annual aid in excess of $ 500 million to support an
Inuit population of 57 thousand which is less than 1% of the population of Denmark.
Greenland's present and future is in energy which the Danes have little capability to exploit.
Reality!!!!!

[TomSea]

How a potential Chinese-built airport in Greenland could be risky for a vital US Air Force base
Aaron Mehta

WASHINGTON — With less than 60,000 people spread across more than 830,000 square miles, Greenland relies heavily on air transport to move supplies and people up and down its coast.

So when the local government issued a solicitation to build three new airports, the move made sense from a business perspective. The project would be expensive, but would improve commerce and make life on the island easier for its residents.

Then a Chinese company — owned by the government in Beijing, and once blacklisted by the World Bank — put forth a bid, and a simple request for proposals transformed into a project with international diplomatic ramifications.

Denmark, which has final say on national security issues involving Greenland, objected. The government in Greenland then insisted China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), which has succesfully worked on large infrastructure projects around the world, would remain one of its finalists for the projects, setting up intense negotiations between two governments.

Read more at: https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2018/09/07/how-a-potential-chinese-built-airport-in-greenland-could-be-risky-for-a-vital-us-air-force-base/

See, there really could be more than what meets the eye.  Kudos @jpsb Well done in bringing this up.

[Sanguine]

See, there really could be more than what meets the eye.  Kudos @jpsb Well done in bringing this up.

Yes, may be a rational pursuit after all.

[skeeter]

See, there really could be more than what meets the eye.  Kudos @jpsb Well done in bringing this up.

Thanks, @TomSea @jpsb . I should know better by now than to accept the media spin without waiting for additional info.

[Sanguine]

@skeeter, as you know I've taken a long time to warm up to Trump, and I'm still not at the point where I'd let him take care of my dogs for the weekend.  But - I do support his tweeting.  It makes absolutely no difference what he does as to what the MSM will report, what other politicians will say and what "elites" will accuse him of thinking-doing-saying. It also makes no difference to the 30-40% of Americans who have accepted the consensus that Trump is a bad guy no matter what he does or doesn't say.

Tweeting gives him the opportunity to go to the other 60-70% of sane(ish) Americans who can potentially be influenced by what he tweets.  He tweets stuff that looks bad at first but the reaction of his detractors make them look unhinged and hypocritical.  And, repeatedly, what he tweets they reflexively mock and, somehow, they're the ones who end up looking bad because of their reaction.

Like the Quad Squad.  They're not looking so good right now.  Maybe it didn't make anyone like Trump any more than they did to begin with, but I think people are looking at the Quads and seeing malice and loonyness.

This Greenland thing may turn out the same way.  "He's crazy, he's unhinged, he's dangerous", etc., but then it may end up looking like a fairly reasonable proposal.  And, the left will have again shown themselves to be what they are.

[GrouchoTex]

When I first read the headlines, I thought it might be another Babylon Bee story.

[truth_seeker]

Yes, may be a rational pursuit after all.

Trump fully expects to have matters move almost immediately to "Orange Man Bad," as this thread confirms.  "default anti-Trump setting."

He is not merely thinking outside the box. He is shaking up the box.