Trump Again Talks About Greenland, PM of Iceland: Greenland People Reject Becoming Part of the US

ILLUSTRATION UNSPLASH/Annie Spratt

JAKARTA - Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrún Mjöll Frostadóttir said the people of Greenland strongly rejected becoming part of the United States.

His statement to the media ahead of the main event of the NATO summit in the Turkish capital, Ankara, was made after US President Donald Trump reiterated his desire to take over the territory.

Frostadóttir said Trump's statement was not surprising because it had become "a fundamental theme" of the US president's attitude.

"At the same time, I want to remain optimistic because I know there are ongoing talks; they are discussing in a formal working group, and we need to give time for this process to develop further," he said.

"We have been very clear about this... Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland," he said.

President Donald Trump has previously revived his idea that the US should acquire Greenland, as well as hinting that the US could withdraw all its military personnel from Europe in response to the region's continued refusal on this issue.

The archipelago "should be dominated by the United States," Trump said shortly after arriving in Ankara, Turkey, to attend the NATO summit.

The alliance, which has 32 members - including Denmark, the country that governs Greenland - was in crisis in January when Trump demanded that the US take over the archipelago on the grounds of national security.

In a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday afternoon Ankara time, Trump expressed his frustration that Europe's refusal to support his expansionist ambitions was "damaging my relationship with NATO."

"Because Greenland does not provide benefits for Denmark. Denmark does not spend funds to really help Greenland, but the region is an important part of the United States," Trump told reporters, as reported by CNBC.