WASHINGTON, Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has praised Denmark amid a public row over Greenland that saw President Donald Trump cancel a visit to the country.
In a phone call with Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod, Pompeo “expressed appreciation for Denmark’s co-operation” as a US ally.
Kofod welcomed the “frank, friendly and constructive talk”.
It came after Trump said Denmark’s prime minister had been “nasty” when rebuffing his idea of buying Greenland.
Mette Frederiksen had called his ambitions of buying the autonomous Danish territory “absurd”. She said she was “disappointed and surprised” that he had cancelled his visit.
The trip was scheduled to take place on Sept 2, at the invitation of Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II.
The US State Department said Pompeo and Kofod had a friendly phone call on Wednesday about the “postponement” of the president’s trip.
“The secretary expressed appreciation for Denmark’s co-operation as one of the United States’ allies and Denmark’s contributions to address shared global security priorities,” spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. “The secretary and Foreign Minister Kofod also discussed strengthening co-operation with the Kingdom of Denmark – including Greenland – in the Arctic.”
Kofod said the talks had affirmed a strong bond between the two countries.
The US and Denmark “are close friends and allies with long history of active engagement across globe,” he wrote on Twitter.
While praising Denmark as a “very special country”, Trump said in a tweet on Tuesday that his planned visit would no longer go ahead because Frederiksen had “no interest in discussing the purchase of Greenland”.
Trump had earlier confirmed reports that he was interested in buying the autonomous Danish territory.
Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn on Wednesday afternoon, he took umbrage at Frederiksen calling his plans “absurd”.
Earlier on Wednesday, Frederiksen had told reporters the idea of selling the resource-rich Arctic island had “clearly been rejected” by its leader, Kim Kielsen, “a position I share of course”.
Trump has reportedly taken an interest in Greenland, in part, because of its resources, such as coal, zinc, copper and iron ore.
But while Greenland may be rich in minerals, it relies on Denmark for two-thirds of its budget revenue. It has high rates of suicide, alcoholism and unemployment. — NNN-AGENCIES
