The outgoing prime minister of Greenland on Thursday said he would summon party leaders to strengthen their rejection of US President Donald Trump\u2019s plan to annex the island territory, following his most recent comments on the issue. <\/p>\n
In an Oval Office news briefing with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte earlier Thursday, the president expressed confidence the US takeover of Greenland \u201cwill happen.\u201d <\/p>\n
Responding to a question from a journalist about his vision to annex the territory, Trump said, \u201cI think it will happen.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cWe need that for international security. Not just security, international,\u201d he continued. <\/p>\n
Rutte did not comment directly on Trump\u2019s statement, saying he did not \u201cwant to drag NATO\u201d into the issue. <\/p>\n
However, he did acknowledge the importance of securing the Arctic region. \u201cWe know things are changing there, and we have to be there.\u201d <\/p>\n
Greenland\u2019s prime minister, Mute Egede, hit back at Trump\u2019s comments in a post on Facebook, saying, \u201cThe U.S. president has once again aired the thought of annexing us,\u201d Reuters reported. <\/p>\n
\u201cEnough is enough,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n
Egede said he had requested to summon party leaders to intensify their rejection of Trump\u2019s plan. <\/p>\n
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the leader of the island\u2019s pro-business Demokraatit party \u2013 which won Greenland\u2019s closely-watched parliamentary election Tuesday \u2013 also rejected the comments. <\/p>\n
\u201cTrump\u2019s statement from the US is inappropriate and just shows once again that we must stand together in such situations,\u201d Nielsen wrote on Facebook, according to Reuters. <\/p>\n
Greenland\u2019s election this week followed a race dominated both by Trump\u2019s annexation threat and growing calls from residents for independence from Denmark. <\/p>\n
Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to annex Greenland, home to about 57,000 people. All dominant parties in Greenland\u2019s parliament have said they do not want the territory to become part of the United States. <\/p>\n
Denmark ruled Greenland as a colony until 1953, when the island achieved greater powers of self-governance. Then, in 2009, it gained more powers pertaining to minerals, policing and courts of law. But Denmark still controls security, defense, foreign and monetary policy. Greenland also benefits from Denmark\u2019s European Union and NATO memberships. <\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s idea to annex the territory threw an international spotlight onto the territory\u2019s election and has raised questions about its security as the United States, Russia and China vie for influence in the Arctic. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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