US President Donald Trump reportedly reiterated his demand to take control of Greenland during his first phone conversation after resuming office with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

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The 45-minute call, held last week, turned into a heated exchange when Frederiksen told Trump that Greenland was not for sale, according to a report by the Financial Times.

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Trump allegedly threatened Denmark with tariffs if it refused to give up control of the island, which is an autonomous Danish territory. Frederiksen tried to offer closer military and economic cooperation between the US and Greenland, including access to mineral resources, but Trump reportedly dismissed the proposal, insisting on full US control.

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“It was horrendous,” one source familiar with the call told Financial Times. Another source said, “He was very firm. Before, it was hard to take it seriously. But now, it seems serious and potentially very dangerous.”

A former Danish official told the Financial Times that the conversation was “very tough,” adding that Trump specifically mentioned possible tariffs targeting Denmark.

“The intent was very clear. They want it. The Danes are now in crisis mode,” one official briefed on the call told FT. Another European official said, “The Danes are utterly freaked out by this.”

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Trump first floated the idea of buying Greenland during his initial term as president and revived the proposal before his inauguration. He posted on his social media platform Truth Social that American control of the territory is essential for US national security.

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Earlier Greenland government had said that it is open to higher defence and trade cooperation with the US, but it has remained firm on retaining its autonomy. The island, with a population of approximately 57,000, hosts a US military base.

Greenland Prime Minister, Mute Egede, welcomed US investment in mining and tourism but said that decisions about Greenland’s future lie with its people. “We don’t want to be Danes. We don’t want to be Americans. Of course, we want to be Greenlanders,” Egede said.

European Union shows interest in placing its troops on Greenland

Meanwhile, the European Union has also shown interest in placing its troops on Greenland. Robert Brieger, the chairman of the European Union Military Committee, suggested that EU forces could join US troops already stationed on the island. In an interview with German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, Brieger said, “In my view, it would make perfect sense not only to station US forces in Greenland, as has been the case to date, but also to consider stationing EU soldiers there in the future.”

(With inputs from agencies)