Lithuanian president calls Trump's Greenland remarks unacceptable

  • 2025-01-13
  • BNS/TBT Staff

VILNIUS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Monday described US President-elect Donald Trump's remarks about taking control of Greenland as unacceptable and called for respect for sovereignty.

"For now, we see statements that question state borders. This is not acceptable in the 21st century.  As far as I recall, the 19th century was the last era when territories were bought and sold," Nausėda told reporters.

"Today, we live in the 21st century, and we must respect territorial integrity and sovereignty, especially of globally recognized states that adhere to democratic principles. So, let's regard this as a misunderstanding," he said.

Trump has said on more than one occasion that he wants the United States to control Greenland and the Panama Canal. He has not ruled out military intervention to bring these territories under US control.

In the past, Trump also threatened to impose hefty tariffs on Denmark if it refused to hand over its autonomous territory.

Denmark has said it is open to talks with the US about its interests in the Arctic but emphasizes that "Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders". 

Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, a member of the European Union.

Lithuania's former President Dalia Grybauskaite told journalists on Monday that Trump's remarks do not alarm her and that they should be taken calmly. What truly matters, she said, is the president's actions.

"There'll be more surprises and uncertainty, and we'll need to learn to live with and adapt to that," she said.

Greenland, which is seeking independence from Denmark, is not only strategically located but also has vast mineral and oil resources, although oil and uranium exploration are banned.

The United States has a military base in the northwestern part of the island.

Trump first said he wanted to buy Greenland in 2019 during his first term as president, an offer swiftly rejected by Greenland and Denmark.