Republican Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski joined with a foreign lawmaker on Monday to dismiss President Donald Trump’s quest to acquire Greenland, saying in a joint statement that the Danish territory is “not for sale.”
Murkowski, no stranger to opposing some of Trump’s nominees and actions, penned a statement with Aaja Chemnitz, a member of Denmark’s parliament representing Greenland, to push back on the president’s proposal to acquire Greenland. Murkowski and Chemnitz say that the Danish territory is an “ally not an asset” and that the Trump administration should deepen collaboration between the United States and Greenland instead of seeking to acquire the territory.
“Of course, a businessman turned president would be interested,” Murkowski and her Danish colleague wrote in a joint statement. “But Greenland is not for sale. The question has been asked and firmly answered by the government of Greenland, Naalakkersuisut.”
As legislators representing Greenland in Denmark and the United States, we see a better path forward. The future will be defined by partnership, not ownership. To ensure our alliance reaches its full potential, Americans must view Greenland as an ally, not an asset.…
— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) January 27, 2025
Greenland, the world’s largest island that is not a continent, has been a part of Denmark since 1953.
“As legislators representing Greenland in Denmark and the United States, we see a better path forward,” Murkowski and Chemnitz added. “The United States, like Denmark, should recognize that the future will be defined by partnership, not ownership. To ensure our alliance reaches its full potential, Americans must view Greenland as an ally, not an asset. Open for business, but not for sale.”
The joint statement comes after Trump doubled down on his desire to acquire Greenland as he took questions from reporters on Air Force One over the weekend.
“I do believe Greenland, we’ll get — because it really has to do with freedom of the world,” Trump told reporters. “It has nothing to do with the United States, other than we’re the one that can provide the freedom. They [Denmark] can’t. They put two dog sleds there two weeks ago. They thought that was protection.”
Murkowski and Chemnitz said there are strategic benefits for the United States in acquiring Greenland, according to the joint statement.
“The appeal of Greenland is easy to understand,” both lawmakers wrote. “It is strategically located for defense, shipping, and more. It is also a storehouse for all sorts of minerals, the building blocks of society that will determine who leads—and controls—the industries of the future.”
The Danish government is reportedly in “crisis mode” following Trump’s 45-minute conversation with Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Jan. 15 regarding Trump’s desire to acquire Greenland, according to a report by the United Kingdom-based Financial Times. The president reportedly floated targeted tariffs against Denmark if the country refuses to sell its territory to the United States.
“The Danes are utterly freaked out by this,” an anonymous Danish official told the Financial Times.
Trump has also called for the United States to retake control of the Panama Canal, citing concerns about the Chinese government’s growing influence over it.
Murkowski and Chemnitz are co-chairs of the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region, an international body that promotes dialogue on issues facing Arctic nations, including the United States and Denmark.
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