President Donald Trump's ongoing efforts to make Greenland a part of the United States are being met with ridicule — even from a high-ranking conservative member of Denmark's parliament.
In a Thursday post to his official X account, Rasmus Jarlov (a member of Denmark's Conservative Party representing Greater Copenhagen) celebrated the news that third quarter GDP growth in Denmark was more than twice that of the United States, with the Danes experiencing 9.5 percent growth compared to 4.3 percent in the U.S.
"Not that we are satisfied, but the current growth rate in Denmark is decent," Jarlov tweeted. "We will start buying USA states shortly."
Jarlov's post poking fun at Trump comes just days after the president appointed Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) as his administration's newest special envoy to Greenland. Landry accepted the role, but made a point of telling his constituents in a social media post that he was not abandoning his duties as the Bayou State's governor.
IPaper columnist Simon Marks observed that the president's announcement set off alarm bells in Denmark, which has dominion over Greenland (though Greenland has its own parliament). In a joint statement, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Parilament chairman Frederik Nielsen both reminded the Trump administration that "land borders and the sovereignty of states are rooted in international law."
"You cannot annex other countries. Not even with an argument about international security. Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders … We expect respect for our territorial integrity."
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen also piled on, with Marks observing that he was "deeply angered" about Landry's appointment, calling it "unacceptable." Denmark has reportedly summoned U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Ken Howery to Copenhagen to discuss Trump's plans for Greenland.
While Greenland's population is sparse, with just under 57,000 residents, the territory itself is rich in mineral deposits. Reuters reported earlier this year that Greenland was rich with 25 of 34 minerals classified as "critical raw minerals" by the European Commission,