Trump’s cancellation of the planned state visit to Denmark following his clumsy and insulting proposals to buy Greenland is not going down well with politicians across the spectrum here.
Here’s a selection I did for a comment, but I guess they deserve their own diary:
Foreign policy spokesman for Venstre (centre right and the party heading the government until the elections in June) Michael Aastrup Jensen calls it “a direct insult towards Denmark and the royal house” and continues “just as we didn’t think it could get more absurd we just have to realize it just got so”
Former minister of foreign affairs Martin Lidegaard (Radikale Venstre, centrist): “Words escape me, because it is such and unusual and grotesque situation. I call it a diplomatic farce”
And from the far left Unity List (not in government, but backing the current PM) foreign politcy spokeswoman Eva Flyvholm: “There was already lots of good reasons to think the man is a fool, and you just have to say he now has given us yet another good reason. This is absurd.” she says and adds that it is for the better he stays away.
Which is echoed on the opposite end of the political spectrum from the far right Danish People’s Party’s Søren Espersen (and up until now a Trump asslicker): “So Mr. Trump- you have now decided to postpone your visit to Denmark. Why not just cancel? We are so busy here with other things...” he writes on twitter.
No more love is shining from the tweets of Rasmus Jarlov, spokesman for Greenland from the Conservatives: “As a Dane (and conservative) it is very hard to understand. Without any reason Trump thinks that (an autonomous) part of our country is for sale. And then he cancels a visit, that everybody was busy preparing in an insulting way. Is parts of the US for sale? Alaska? Show some respect, please”
And maybe less harsh in tone but no less scathing from former general secretary of NATO and former PM for Venstre, Anders Fogh Rasmussen: “President Trump’s postponement of his visit to Denmark is a setback for our diplomatic relations, but it might be for the better. The challenges for security and environment in the Arctic are too important topics to be discussed together with hopeless discussions about a sale of Greenland.”
While several comments still try to tone down any long term implications, calling the US our most important ally, some are questioning the relationship. Head spokesman for Venstre, Jakob Ellemann-Jensen (number three in his party and son of former longtime minister of foreign affairs Uffe Ellemann-Jensen): “We must look positively on the European cooperation, because we can’t count on the USA”
And head of the centrist Radikale Venstre, Morten Østergaard: “Reality eclipses fantasy. There can hardly be anyone in the US state department, who haven’t told him the answer (to the Greenland buy) in advance. It’s far, far out. And it shows why we more than ever should see the EU countries as our closest allies. The man is unhinged.”
Ouch! And these two are the mainsteam of the mainstrem here. Nato membership and the alliance with the US is generally not questioned exept by the far left. Especially criticism coming from the right and centre right is totally new.
Only the ruling Social Democrats have so far chosen not to comment, probably trying to find a fitting response, that still won’t escalate the crisis even more. PM Mette Frederiksen was also slow to respond to the idea of the Greenland buy in the first place, but when she did, she was very precise, putting any speculations to rest in a way that went down well in Denmark and Greenland alike. But apparently not on Pennsylvania Ave…
(ass for the court, the queen’s spokesperson simply stated about the cancellation “That was a surprise. We have nothing more to say about that.” Probably as close as you can get to a snub from a constitutionally apolitical and very diplomatic institution)