Donald Trump warned ‘Britain first in line for Greenland’ after takeover plot
President Donald Trump has reportedly said he wants to takeover Greenland to take advantage of its mining opportunities – but he might not get his wish
Britain has first dibs on Greenland, Donald Trump has been warned.
It comes after another warning from the Singapore Prime Minister, who says WW3 could be on the cards due to US and China’s relations. But if that happens, Trump may have UFOs on his side, as he could be about to release secret files to prove aliens exist.
The new US President wants to take over the mineral-rich island as its rapidly melting ice sheets open it up to mining. Trump declared over the weekend “I think we’re going to have it” following what sources described as a “fiery phone call” with the prime minister of its current owner Denmark.
But should Denmark decide to flog it off the UK should get first chance to snap it up, political chiefs said.
Britain has a 108-year-old “right-to-buy” clause that puts it in poll position to acquire the island. According to the last Danish minister for the Arctic island Tom Høyem – Denmark’s representative in Greenland from 1982 to 1987 – the undertaking dated from 1917 when America first failed in a bid to buy the island.
The UK stepped in as Greenland lies only a few miles from Canada which was then a British dominion. It was therefore logical “that the British said they would have the first right to buy”, said Høyem, 83.
Then-US president Woodrow Wilson subsequently agreed Greenland was and would always be Danish.
“If Trump tried to buy Greenland he would have to ask London first,’’ Høyem said. “The United Kingdom demanded in 1917 that if Greenland were to be sold then the UK should have the first right to buy it.’’
Trump had a “fiery” call with Danish PM Mette Frederiksen during which he was aggressive, confrontational and threatened him with targeted trade tariffs, sources told the Financial Times. Frederiksen’s office said it did “not recognise the interpretation of the conversation”.
Danish foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen then spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio who agreed to postpone discussions of the island’s future. But speaking onboard Air Force One on Saturday Trump said he was confident Greenland will become part of America as its 57,000 residents “want to be with us”.
“I do believe Greenland, we’ll get because it really has to do with freedom of the world,” he said. “It has nothing to do with the United States other than we’re the one that can provide the freedom.”
Greenland’s prime minister Múte Egede, who wants independence from Denmark, has said the territory is not for sale but is open to closer ties with the US in areas such as mining.
Melting ice sheets have raised interest in oil drilling and mining for copper, lithium, cobalt and nickel. Melting Arctic ice is also opening up new shipping routes making alternatives to the Suez canal.
Since the cold war Greenland has been home to a US military base and its ballistic missile early warning system.
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