Danes stunned as Trump cancels visit

COPENHAGEN, August 21

Denmark was left stunned on Wednesday by Donald Trump’s decision to postpone a state visit after the government told the US President its autonomous territory Greenland was not for sale.

The Danish Royal House expressed “surprise” at Trump's cancellation while commentators accused Trump of acting like a “colonial overlord”.

“Based on Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's comments, that she would have no interest in discussing the purchase of Greenland, I will be postponing our meeting scheduled in two weeks for another time,” Trump tweeted.

“The Prime Minister was able to save a great deal of expense and effort for both the US and Denmark by being so direct.” His comments came two days after Frederiksen had rejected the President's proposal to possibly buy Greenland as “absurd”.

The territory has been essential to US defence since World War II.

Responding to the development, Prime Minister Frederiksen said: “I am both annoyed and surprised that the US President has canceled a state visit. Denmark and the US are not in crisis, the US is one of our closest allies.”

The postponement has sparked strong reactions in Denmark. “Reality transcends imagination... this man is unpredictable," said Morten Ostergaard of the Social Liberal Party, which is part of the ruling coalition.

“For no reason, Trump assumes that (an autonomous) part of our country is for sale. Then insultingly cancels visit that everybody was preparing for," tweeted Rasmus Jarlov, a member of the opposition Conservative Party. Marc Jacobsen, a Greenland specialist at the University of Copenhagen, said Trump was acting like “an ignorant colonial overlord”. — AFP

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