President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he was postponing a scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark after the Scandinavian leader made it clear she would not discuss selling Greenland to the United States.
“The Prime Minister was able to save a great deal of expense and effort for both the United States and Denmark by being so direct,” Trump tweeted Tuesday night. “I thank her for that and look forward to rescheduling sometime in the future!”
Trump had been invited by Queen Margrethe II to visit Denmark as part of a larger tour of Europe, but a White House spokesperson told POLITICO on Tuesday night that Trump does not plan to visit the country as scheduled.
Trump confirmed over the weekend reports that he was interested in buying Greenland, but said it was not a priority for the administration. The Wall Street Journal initially reported Trump’s interest in the move on Friday, leading to guffaws in Washington and anger in Denmark and Greenland.
Frederiksen said that it was an “absurd discussion,” and that Greenland Premier “Kim Kielsen has of course made it clear that Greenland is not for sale. That’s where the conversation ends.”