Denmark faces a diplomatic crisis after a January call between President Trump and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, where Trump expressed interest in acquiring Greenland. In response, former Greenland Prime Minister Kim Kielsen humorously suggested that Greenland should acquire the U.S., citing historical figures Leif Erikson and Erik the Red. Kielsen pointed out that Erikson was the first European known to reach North America, making a satirical argument about reclaiming America for Greenland. The historical context adds depth to the modern diplomatic challenges Denmark faces due to Trump's provocations.
"It was Leif the Lucky who discovered America," Kielsen told the Danish newspaper in 2019. "And it was his father, Erik the Red, who discovered Greenland and settled here. So, it's only natural for us to get America back."
Although ethnically Norse (and thus not closely related to the Inuit, who make up 90% of Greenland's current population of less than 60,000), Leif Erikson was a resident Greenlander when he sailed to America.
The exact location along the Atlantic coast of North America of the place Leif called "Vinland" is still debated. A strong contender is the area around the Norse settlement dug up by archaeologists at L'Anse aux Meadows.
The Danes are in "crisis mode" after a "horrendous" call in mid-January between President Donald Trump and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in which Trump in no uncertain terms reiterated his desire to acquire Greenland.
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