‘International Shopping’: Russia Takes Hit at Trump’s Offer to Buy Greenland

Russia does not engage in “international shopping” and does not want to meddle in U.S.-Danish relations, the Kremlin said on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump flaunted an idea to purchase Greenland from Denmark, the New York Times reports. 

“We don’t engage in international shopping of that kind,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by the RBC news website as saying to reporters on Thursday.

Greenland is an autonomous region within the Kingdom of Denmark. Since 1979, Denmark has been in charge of Greenland’s foreign affairs, military issues and constitutional matters, while Greenland makes decisions on its internal affairs independently.

Trump confirmed this week media reports about his interest in buying Greenland, while Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said it was not for sale, rejecting the idea as absurd, prompting Trump to cancel a planned visit to Copenhagen. 

The Danish royal family were ‘surprised’ to learn that Trump postponed his visit. Former U.S. ambassador to Denmark Rufus Gifford took to Twitter to express his indignation over the way Trump treats a country which is an ally of the US. According to Gifford, Trump acted like a child, ‘snubbing the entire Kingdom’.

Referring to Trump canceling his trip to Denmark after its prime minister called his idea “absurd”, the Kremlin’s spokesman Peskov said: “If we understand correctly, they had a falling out, but it’s not our issue and we wouldn’t like to interfere.” 

Trump, meanwhile, called Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s remarks “nasty”.

“All she had to do is say: ‘No, we wouldn’t be interested’,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday.