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The confrontation over Greenland has moved far beyond quiet diplomacy and into open political theater, and few moments captured that shift more vividly than a speech delivered this week in the European Parliament. What began as another debate over sovereignty and security turned into a viral flashpoint when a Danish lawmaker abandoned diplomatic language altogether and told the American president, in blunt terms, to back off.
At the center of the controversy is Donald Trump, whose renewed push to bring Greenland under U.S. control has rattled allies across Europe. Framed by Trump as a matter of “national and world security,” the proposal has revived memories of his earlier interest in acquiring the Arctic territory and amplified fears that Washington is willing to strong-arm partners to secure strategic and economic advantage.
Those remarks have landed badly not just in Copenhagen, but in Greenland itself. Over recent weeks, demonstrations under the slogan “Hands off Greenland” have taken place both on the island and in major Danish cities. Protesters have accused the U.S. president of treating Greenland as a commodity rather than a homeland, and of ignoring the will of its people. According to reporting by BBC, opinion polls indicate that roughly 85 percent of Greenlanders oppose any move to join the United States.
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