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Politicians in Denmark are dealing with widespread fears over U.S. officials' statements about taking over the Danish territory of Greenland. The massive Arctic island is sparsely populated, but President Trump has repeatedly said it is also crucial for American security interests and that it should be part of the United States. Reporter Adrienne Murray in Copenhagen reports that very few Danes or Greenlanders think that's a good idea.
ADRIENNE MURRAY, BYLINE: In Denmark's snow-covered capital, Trump's repeated threats to take over Greenland have been seen as a serious provocation. But still, there's hope that tensions might thaw, as Danish and Greenlandic officials meet with the U.S. secretary of state next week. Lars Lokke Rasmussen is Denmark's foreign minister.
LARS LOKKE RASMUSSEN: (Through interpreter) I have asked for a meeting to replace the shouting competition on social media with a more sensible dialogue.
MURRAY: Here in the halls of the Danish parliament, all the talk is about President Trump's threats to take over Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, and especially American officials saying using military force remains an option. The latest discussions are about alleged American plans to not invade but buy it. But there's a problem with that plan, says Ayahumniz, a member of parliament from Greenland.
AAJA CHEMNITZ: Greenland is not for sale, never will be for sale. So that's the opinion from the Greenlandic people and the majority in Greenland.
MURRAY: For the 57,000 strong largely Inuit population there, the bullying, tough talk of a superpower is not just a worry. It's a source of frustration, says Masaana Egede, the editor-in-chief of Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq.
MASAANA EGEDE: It's not gone down well in Greenland. We've heard it before and we're hearing it again. And the problem is that the Greenlandic people do not want to be annexed or taken over by another country, no matter who they are.
MURRAY: Denmark has committed $15 billion to boosting Arctic defense and to respond to Trump's claims that the U.S. needs Greenland for security reasons. But experts here still don't understand the president's rationale. Peter Viggo Jakobsen is from the Danish Defense Academy.
PETER VIGGO JAKOBSEN: It's very, very hard to see what the U.S. would gain from taking over Greenland. They already have military bases out there, and they have a base agreement allowing them to build any additional base or any additional installation that they would want. They can also make a mineral agreement with Greenland if they so desire.
MURRAY: The bells of the parliament building ring out over the freezing winter streets of Copenhagen as the politicians get down to work. Greenlandic Representative Chemnitz says all the talk of money and security threats can only fall on deaf ears back home.
CHEMNITZ: If we were to be American, our society would completely change. So I don't see a majority in Greenland being interested. And you can wave as much money as you want in front of the Greenlanders. And I don't think that's the way forward.
MURRAY: The way forward for Denmark's leaders is to take that message to U.S. officials in next week's talks, and to hope that the country's partners in the European Union and NATO continue to stand by it in trying to persuade the American president to give up his plans to take over Greenland.
For NPR News, I'm Adrienne Murray in Copenhagen.
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