"In another volatile week for transatlantic relations, President Trump continues to proclaim that Greenland will be part of the United States one way or the other, despite the fact that it's part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Leaders in Denmark and Greenland say they want to work with the U.S. but will not negotiate on sovereignty. Danish civilians say they're feeling whiplash, as NPR's Barbara Sprunt reports."
"At the University of Copenhagen, political science student Villads Welling tells me his studies have gone from the theoretical to the eerily practical as President Trump continues to push to acquire Greenland. He remembers that Trump floated the idea during his first term. VILLADS WELLING: I think most people in Denmark were just laughing, saying, oh, yeah. Well, he's not going to. And he doesn't even know that you cannot buy another country. That's not how it works."
"WILLIAM BRUSS: That gives some imperialistic flashbacks. In my head, at least. SPRUNT: He says he grew up learning about the close alliance between the U.S. and Denmark and now sees it turned upside down. BRUSS: It's our - in some ways, our big brother. It's a nation that we've always looked up to, felt that it was someone we shared values with. So to see someone speak in a way where it at least feels like he's willing to throw away that"
President Trump has publicly pursued acquisition of Greenland, citing national security despite existing U.S. military access. Denmark and Greenland leaders state that sovereignty is not negotiable while expressing willingness to cooperate with the United States on other matters. Danish civilians report feeling whiplash and growing alarm as the idea has shifted from a joke to a perceived threat. University students describe imperialistic overtones and a sense that the longstanding alliance with the U.S. feels undermined. Proposals of tariffs and repeated public statements have intensified concerns about bilateral relations and mutual trust.
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