President of the united states, Donald Trump, urges Greenland to make a deal with the US.
He also says that NATO needs the US more than the US needs NATO.
It happens on board the presidential plane Air Force One, according to an audio recording from the plane, which the White House has shared on YouTube.
Here, Trump is asked by a journalist whether the US has made an actual offer for Greenland to Denmark.
- I haven't done that. But Greenland should make a deal. Because Greenland does not want to see Russia or China take over, he says.
- Two dog sleds
At the same time, Trump claims that Greenland's defense basically consists of two dog sleds.
- Did you know that? Two dog sleds. Meanwhile, you have Russian destroyers and submarines and Chinese destroyers and submarines all over the place. We will not let that happen.
- And if it affects Nato, then it affects Nato. But they need us much more than we need them, says the president.
A journalist on board Air Force One mentions to Trump that Britain and Germany are discussing plans for a joint NATO mission to protect Arctic security in Greenland.
On Sunday, the media Bloomberg reported, on the basis of unnamed sources, that Germany will propose that such a joint NATO mission be set up.
The reporter asks Trump if that changes anything in his assessment of the situation.
- No, listen. We are talking about acquiring it (Greenland, ed.), not about having it in the short term. We are talking about acquiring it. And if we don't, Russia or China will, and that's not going to happen when I'm president.
Needs ownership
Trump emphasizes on board the plane that the US already has military bases in Greenland.
Asked if more will come, he says he can send a lot of soldiers to Greenland right away if he wants to.
- But you need more than that. You ultimately need the ownership ("You need more than that. You really need the title," ed.), says Trump.
On Friday, all five parties in Greenland's parliament, Inatsisartut, issued a joint statement in which it was again stated that they do not want to be part of the United States.
At the same time, Denmark and six major countries from the defense alliance announced earlier last week that no one other than Denmark and Greenland has the right to make decisions about Greenland's future.
This emerged from a statement which, in addition to Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (S), was written by the leaders of Britain and Germany, among others.
On Sunday, she said at a party leadership debate that "we are at a crossroads and it is a moment of fate".
- If you turn your back on Nato cooperation by threatening an ally - something you have not experienced before - everything stops. And I mean it, said Mette Frederiksen.
/Ritzau/
