Greenland: how to deal with uninvited US guests?
Greenland will once again host a visitor from the US: Usha Vance, the wife of Trump's vice president JD Vance, is set to arrive on Thursday, accompanied by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. The incumbent prime minister Múte Egede, who will remain in office until a new government is formed, described the visit as a dangerous "provocation", especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that the US will take over the island "one way or the other".
Tearing down the world order with a smile
Aftonbladet comments:
“Just this weekend Vice President JD Vance adopted a tougher tone towards Greenland and Denmark. He told Fox News that the US could 'take control of Greenland' if President Trump deemed it necessary for the country's security. These statements violate several international laws and principles. Of course the Trump administration knows this very well, but they obviously don't give a hoot about the consequences. Usha Vance is an intelligent woman who knows exactly what she's doing. The fact that she is helping to tear down the world order with a radiant smile on her face only makes it more unpleasant.”
Congress trumps Trump on this matter
Copenhagen and Nuuk should establish a direct line of communication with the US Congress, advises Berlingske:
“Trump's government is based on the idea that the president has extremely far-reaching powers. The point, however, is that the constitution gives Congress alone, not the president, the power to decide to take over other countries by force. ... Denmark and Greenland must join forces to make it difficult for Trump to continue the provocations or take illegal action citing US security. The important thing now is to talk to the US Congress, not the president, who won't listen anyway.”
Turn them away
Jyllands-Posten calls for immediate action:
“Can't we check the mobile phones of Mrs Vance and her high-ranking entourage to see if anyone has written anything nasty about Greenland? Then they might get the same message as a French researcher who was recently sent back to France because he had a mocking text message about Trump on his mobile phone. ... Shouldn't the visit be reason enough for Mette Frederiksen - and the rest of Europe - to stand up to Trump? As well as the appeal by Prime Minister Múte B. Egede to stand with Greenland against a superior force - a formulation that brought back dark memories of the radio address by Hungarian Prime Minister Imre Nagy when Soviet tanks rolled into Budapest in 1956.”