Danish PM has 'very bad' phone call with Trump about Greenland

According to RIA Novosti, the Financial Times on January 24 quoted senior European officials as saying that Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had a “very bad” phone call with new US President Donald Trump last week - who reacted harshly to Copenhagen's refusal to sell Greenland to Washington.

President Donald Trump had a 45-minute phone conversation with the Danish Prime Minister last week, in which he confirmed the seriousness of his offer to buy the island of Greenland, according to a source familiar with the matter, the Financial Times reported.

“Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen stressed that the giant Arctic island was not for sale, noting that the US had strong interest in the island,” the Financial Times reported.

The conversation between the two sides went “very badly,” the source said. President Trump responded to Prime Minister Frederiksen’s remarks in an “angry and confrontational” manner, despite the Danish leader’s proposal to expand cooperation in the fields of military bases and mining.

“It was a very difficult conversation,” said a former Danish official. “Mr Trump threatened specific measures against Denmark, such as tariffs.”

The Danish Prime Minister's Office declined to comment on the call.

Before taking office, Donald Trump repeatedly stated that Greenland should become part of the United States. According to Trump, the island is of strategic importance to national security. At the same time, Trump even left open the possibility of using military force to establish control over this territory of Denmark.