The Greenland affair turns to the diplomatic incident between the United States and Denmark

Fad has turned into a diplomatic incident. Five days after the revelation by the Wall Street Journal that the President of the United States evoked before his advisers the hypothesis of the purchase of Greenland, Donald Trump announced on his Twitter account, Tuesday, August 20, the cancellation of the visit he had to perform in Denmark at the beginning of September.

"Denmark is a very special country with incredible people," he wrote, using the formulas he uses all the time. "But given Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's comments that she would have no interest in discussing the purchase of Greenland, I will postpone our planned meeting in two weeks to another time," continued the president of the first power of the world, obviously upset.

"The Prime Minister has been able to save money and effort for the United States and Denmark by being so direct. I thank her for that and look forward to reprogramming (this visit) in the future ", he added for good measure, immediately sparking a torrent of comments oscillating between consternation and amazement.

In the aftermath of the announcement, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she was "upset and surprised by the cancellation of the US President's state visit ". But "Denmark and the United States are not in crisis", she added during a press conference, stressing that the invitation of the Scandinavian kingdom to the tenant of the White House "Remained valid".

Tuesday, M^me Frederiksen had made it clear that what she considered a joke of bad taste had lasted long enough. The night before, Donald Trump had returned to the subject by publishing on his Twitter account a photo of Greenland in which the photo of the golden-named building in Las Vegas, Nevada, was inscribed. "I promise I will never do that in Greenland," he added, wanting to be ironic.

I promise not to do this to Greenland! https://t.co/03DdyVU6HA

– realDonaldTrump (@Donald J. Trump)

"Greenland is not for sale. Greenland is not Danish. It belongs to the Greenlanders. I really hope it's not serious. This discussion is absurd, " Tuesday the Danish prime minister on the sidelines of a Nordic summit held in Iceland. The day before, during a stopover in Greenland, she had assured: "Fortunately, the days when you could buy and sell other countries and populations are over. "

A first offer to buy … in 1946

Far from denying the information of the Wall Street Journal, Donald Trump has instead confirmed to the press his interest in such a transaction, Sunday, August 18. An old idea. Almost thirty years ago, the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten revealed that a first offer of purchase was made confidentially in 1946 by Washington in Copenhagen, for the sum of $ 100 million and land in Alaska.

"It's just something we talked about, ensured Sunday Donald Trump. Denmark is the owner. We are very good allies with Denmark. We protect Denmark as we protect large parts of the world. So the idea came and I said that certainly, I would be (interested in a purchase). Strategically, it's interesting (…). We will discuss the subject with them, but it is not a priority. "

The President of the United States had even argued. "In fact, it's like a big real estate transaction. Many things can be done. It penalizes Denmark a lot, which loses nearly 700 million dollars (630 million euros) per year (paid to the territory). So they take care of it at great expense. And strategically, for the United States, it would be nice, " he continued. "In fact, I'm supposed to stop there. I'm thinking of going there. I will not necessarily go, but I may go. We are going to Poland and then to Denmark. Not at all for this reason. But we think about it, he added.

The visit was actually planned. A few hours before the presidential message, the ambassador of the United States in Copenhagen, Carla Sands, republican cacique obviously far from imagining such a conclusion, had published on his Twitter account some enthusiastic words. "Denmark is ready for the visit of POTUS! " acronym of "President of the United States". It is "A partner, an ally, a friend", she added, but she did not add the potential buyer.

A very diplomatic "surprise"

In Denmark, this last-minute cancellation caused a mixture of stupor and irritation. Very diplomatic, the communication services of the Royal Palace, where Donald Trump was to be received by Queen Margrethe II, expressed their "Surprise". In the corridors of Christiansborg, seat of the Danish Parliament, the tone was more harsh, revealing a rare consensus on the political scene of the Scandinavian kingdom.

"Trump lives on another planet. Self-sufficient and disrespectful, commented on Twitter Pernille Skipper, leader of the Unity List (ecologist), while Soren Espersen, vice president of the Danish People's Party (far right), evoked a decision "Absolutely absurd". " Reality exceeds fiction ", says Morten Ostergaard, leader of the Social Liberal Party. For editorialists, a lesson is to be learned from this incident, which summarizes the daily Politiken : "Denmark needs a new strategy for the Arctic, both political and military. "