Danish Politicians Believe Trump's Idea To Purchase Greenland Is 'Absolutely Crazy'

Danish politicians do not regard US President Donald Trump's idea of purchasing Greenland, the world's biggest island and Denmark's autonomous territory, as something serious, with Soren Espersen, a member of the parliament for the Danish People's Party, qualifying it as "absolutely crazy

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th August, 2019) Danish politicians do not regard US President Donald Trump's idea of purchasing Greenland, the world's biggest island and Denmark's autonomous territory, as something serious, with Soren Espersen, a member of the parliament for the Danish People's Party, qualifying it as "absolutely crazy."

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing sources in the White House, that Trump was eyeing the possibility to acquire the island. The move could be aimed at boosting US military presence in the Arctic. However, some of Trump's advisers believe that Trump could be just joking on the matter without intending seriously to purchase Greenland.

"If it is true that he is working on this idea, this is a final proof that he has gone mad. I'd say that the very idea that Denmark can sell 50,000 of its nationals to the United States is absolutely crazy," Espersen said, as quoted by Jyllands Posten newspaper.

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen voiced the belief that this could be a joke.

"It must be an April Fool's Day joke ... but totally out of sesson [season]!" Rasmussen wrote on Twitter.

Rasmus Jarlov, a representative of the Conservative People's Party, was also skeptical about Trump's intentions.

"Out of all things that are not going to happen this is the most unlikely. Forget it," Jarlov wrote on Twitter.

Michael Aastrup, a member of parliament for liberal party Venstre, firmly rejected the idea that Denmark could sell Greenland to the United States.

"Greenland is not for sale! Times when one could buy territories and people have long gone. I hope that our government will declare this firmly to Trump when he pays a visit to Denmark, on behalf of the Danish society," Aastrup wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Martin Lidegaard, a member of the Social Liberal Party, pointed out that Washington's purchase of Greenland could result in the militarization of the island and could largely deprive its residents of their independence. Lidegaard stressed that this would be a great loss for Denmark.

Greenland, located between the Arctic and the Atlantic oceans, is Denmark's autonomous country. It is a self-ruling territory, with its own government making decisions on most of the domestic matters and the Danish central government handling foreign and security policy. The United States has already made attempts to purchase Greenland, with former President Harry Truman offering to Denmark in 1946 $100 million for the island.