""We fought for Denmark. (...) We were fighting to save it. (...) All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland, where we had already been a trustee, but respectfully returned it to Denmark not long after we defeated the Germans, the Japanese, the Italians, and others in World War II. (...) We had it, and we gave it back to them.""
""The US did help defend Greenlandduring World War II, but it never owned the territory and therefore could not have 'given it back' to Denmark. Nor did the US fight a separate military campaign to liberate or 'save' Denmark itself. When Nazi Germany occupied Denmark in April 1940, Greenland became cut off from the Danish government in Copenhagen. To prevent Germany from exploiting Greenland's strategic location and its cryolite mines(critical for aircraft aluminum production), the United States intervened""
""The US established military bases, weather stations, and airfieldsto defend Greenland but its legal sovereignty never changed. Although the German Wehrmacht operated a weather station on Greenland and there were isolated clashes between the German army and Danish-led island patrols, Greenland was never completely occupied by Nazi Germany. After World War II, Greenland remained part of the Kingdom of Denmark. US military activity continued through the Cold""
Claims that the United States had owned and returned Greenland after World War II are misleading. The United States aided Greenland's defense and established bases, weather stations, and airfields during the war. The United States intervened with the approval of Denmark's ambassador in Washington because Denmark was under German occupation. Greenland was cut off from Copenhagen but was never fully occupied by Nazi Germany despite isolated clashes and a German weather station. Greenland's legal sovereignty never changed and it remained part of the Kingdom of Denmark after World War II. US military activity in Greenland continued into the Cold period.
Read at www.dw.com
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