Danish politician Anders Vestesen didn’t hold back when he issued a public letter to US President Donald Trump this week about his bid to make Greenland part of the United States.
“Dear President Trump, listen very carefully,” Vestesen said Tuesday in the European Parliament. “Greenland has been part of the Danish Kingdom for 800 years. It is an integral part of our country. It is not for sale.”
Vestesen continued to use some profanity which got him into trouble with the rest of the European Parliament.
“Let me put it in words you might understand,” he said. “Mr. Trump, damn it!
Nikolai Stefanotta, vice-president of the European Parliament, intervened and told Vestesen that the language was unacceptable.
“If the translation is correct, the term you used will not be allowed in this house and there will be consequences for the message you used,” Stefanotta said. “It is not acceptable in this house of democracy. Thank you. Regardless of our opinion of Mr. Trump, it is not possible to use such language.
Vestesen doubled his statement and spread his message On X, write“Greenland is not for sale. Greenland has been part of Denmark for 800 years, more than twice as long as the United States has been around. Any true patriot should understand that this is an unacceptable assault on national sovereignty!”
Get breaking national news
For news affecting Canada and around the world, sign up to get breaking news alerts delivered to you right as they happen.
He later claimed that the European Parliament threatened to fine him for using profanity.
“Fines if you tell the truth about foreigners and crime! Fines if you tell the truth about Greenlanders! Fines if you tell the truth about Trump!” Written on X.
Reporters asked Trump about Greenland after he took office on Monday. Trump responded, saying: “Greenland is a great place, and we need it for international security.” “I’m sure Denmark will come, it costs them a lot of money to maintain it.”
On Tuesday, Greenland’s Prime Minister Miot P. Egedy addressed Trump’s comments about the region.
“We are Greenlanders. We don’t want to be Americans. We don’t want to be Danes either. The future of Greenland will be decided by Greenland. Our country and our people will decide what happens to Greenland.”
Earlier this month, Trump said he would not rule out using force or economic pressure to make Greenland – a semi-autonomous region of Denmark – part of the United States. Trump said it was a matter of national security for the United States
“We need Greenland for national security purposes,” Trump told reporters on January 7.
Greenland, home to a large US military base, is an autonomous region of Denmark, a long-time US ally and a founding member of NATO. Trump questioned the legitimacy of Denmark’s claim to Greenland.
Responding to Trump’s comments in an interview with Danish broadcaster TV2, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described the United States as Denmark’s “most important and closest ally” and said she did not believe the United States would use military or economic force to secure control of Greenland. .
Frederiksen reiterated that she welcomed greater US interest in the Arctic, but said: “It must be done in a way that respects the people of Greenland.”
“At the same time, this must be done in a way that allows Denmark and the United States to continue cooperation in NATO, among other things,” Frederiksen said.
Trump initially expressed interest in Greenland in 2019 during his first term. He said Greenland was “badly hurting Denmark” and costing it $700 million a year. His solution was for the United States to acquire Greenland, calling it a “huge real estate deal.”
—With files from The Associated Press
&Copy 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
