Copenhagen [Denmark], January 18: Danish and Greenlandic flags floated above Copenhagen's City Hall Square on Saturday as thousands of people joined demonstrations in the Danish capital and other cities against US President Donald Trump's bid to control the Arctic island of Greenland.
"The message from Copenhagen is cloud and clear: Greenland is not a commodity," said Mayor Sisse Marie Welling, according to Danish media reports.
In Aarhus, Mayor Anders Winnerskjold told DR television that Greenland is "not alone." Demonstrations are also planned for Saturday on Greenland, which is largely autonomous but formally part of Denmark, a NATO member.
Poul Johannesen, organizer of the Greenlandic citizens' initiative "Hands off Kalaallit Nunaat," said the group demands "respect for Greenland's right to self-determination and respect for the Greenlandic people." "This is not only a fight for Greenland, but also for the whole world," he added.
Greenland is called Kalaallit Nunaat in Greenlandic, which translates to the "Land of the Greenlanders." Trump has repeatedly argued that US control of the resource-rich island is necessary to prevent Russia and China from expanding their influence in the region, drawing outrage from Denmark and its European allies.
The US president recently threatened countries that oppose his plans with punitive tariffs. Recent crisis talks in Washington between the United States, Denmark and Greenland failed to resolve the differences.
Before the start of the Copenhagen demonstration, a bipartisan delegation of US lawmakers reaffirmed their opposition to Trump's plans at a press conference.
Greenland is part of Denmark. Denmark is our NATO ally," said Democratic Senator Chris Coons. "That should be the end of this discussion in my view." Coons described Trump's statements as "not constructive," warning that the current treatment of Denmark could cause lasting damage to the bilateral relationship.
The senator, who represents the state of Delaware, asked how the US could be trusted if NATO ally Denmark was left in the lurch.
The 11 lawmakers who travelled to Denmark tried to make it clear that Trump's plans would also meet with resistance in the US.
Although the group only included two representatives from Trump's party, Republican US Senator Lisa Murkowski stressed that this was not a sign that Republicans were not interested in the issue or had already taken a side.
European soldiers arrive in Greenland Soldiers and other military personnel from European NATO countries arrived in Greenland on Friday evening.
The German Defence Ministry said the Bundeswehr team and its allies were on site for a reconnaissance mission to examine conditions for joint military exercises aimed at ensuring greater security.
Norway, Sweden, Finland, Great Britain, France and the Netherlands are among the countries sending military teams to the island for the Danish-led mission.
Source: Qatar Tribune
