When he accepted the invitation he was aware of who the new PM of Denmark was and what she stands for. He also ought to have been informed about normal etiquette in these matters.
What he has done is unheard off. Had some tragedy occurred in the US that required him to stay at home, postponing the visit is completely acceptable. Now i get that the US economy is getting in some bad weather but that is not the kind of excuse that could be used and it's not the excuse he did use.
What he did is diplomatically unacceptable. It will have dire consequences for the US as they have become an unreliable partner with Trump in the White House. That means other countries will find other alliances and it will be the US who suffers most. So he's not only insulted another Nation but also did his own country a disservice.
Johan - With all due respect, you are getting too much "in the weeds" on this topic. Most of what you are saying belongs at the negotiating table with those who have more knowledge of Greenland than I have. But I can't help asking if Trump is so disliked on the world stage, why are they inviting him? Are they abandoning their principles to play host to such an evil person? What do they hope to gain?
But, forget all that. Let me try again to say more clearly what I meant. l have no interest in whether Greenland is sold or not. I was trying to say that the Prime Minister went out of her way to fan the flames about a U.S. President Europeans don't like in the first place. It doesn't take much to get the anti-Trump sentiments revved up into full gear. The Prime Minister should not have done that on the eve of his visit. She should have declined comment and engaged is some diplomatic spin about "productive meetings." The visit should have gone forward; if Trump brought Greenland up during meetings, all the Danish representatives should have done was decline politely. And they could have moved on to other topics.
I will forego dispensing my personal political views. As an American, it is none of my business what goes on in Greenland or Denmark. I do feel compelled to say I am not "defending" anyone. I am going on a principled position. I would feel this way if the President were Obama. But I certainly understand that the climate we are living in, any attempt to inject an alternative opinion on anything is interpreted as a defense of Trump. I pride myself on being non-political and non-judgmental, when at all possible. It is unfortunate some Danish officials did not see fit to do that and put their personal feelings aside.
The role of diplomats is to avoid this unfortunate outcome we are seeing.
Mildred do you realise that Trump already has wasted people's money both in the US and Denmark?
So his statement that it saves money is utter nonsense. Both the US State department and the Danish Court and Foreign office have had people working on and preparing this visit. Worse, by cancelling he has insulted a long time ally of the US and made other countries think again about even considering to invite him (assuming the political and social climate in that country would permit such and invitation as in the North West of Europe Trump is seen as the worst of what the US has to offer [racist, sexist, an isolationist, a bully born with privilege and not the smartest cookie in the tin).
Besides Trump first stated that Greenland was not the reason why he would visit Denmark but within a few days it turned out that Greenland was exactly why he wanted to visit Denmark.
Apparently the USA president thinks that parts of nations are like businesses and can/should be sold off. Maybe he wants to sell California or Alaska, Who knows he might be willing to sell New York as well. It is highly insulting and you trying to defend him says little about your understanding of what he has actually done.
He has insulted the people of Greenland by assuming they and their land were on sale (think about your own local area being on sale and Russia, China, Saudie Arabia or even Iran being interested in buying your state).
Secondly he has first accepted an invitation of a reigning monarch who has reigned since the early seventies and when she and her court were almost finished to receive him, pulled back and thus insulted a Head of State with a track record no American president will ever achieve.
Thirdly he's made the US and i's people look stupid. We know he is not the most intelligent man ever to occupy the oval office but turning on old allies like that is not good for the US and it's links with the world.
He once again made the US the joke of the international political spectre and with a nation in decline that is already having a tough time to realise their time in the sun is passing on he's just made it worse.
And that is precisely why Trump decided to cancel. He knows he is not wanted, so why bother? The American public has already started to weigh in on the controversy, saying they think Trump had no business wasting the taxpayers' money on such a visit in the first place. But the blame for this fiasco, in my view, falls squarely on the shoulders of the Danish PM when she insulted the U.S. President by calling his proposal "absurd, " as though the idea of buying land, territories among countries is unheard of. This faux outrage was a PR stunt designed to placate people who didn't want Trump to visit in the first place. Surely this PM knew that Trump's offer was not an outlyer as she wants people to believe. The U.S. tried to buy Greenland in 1946 and Eisenhower had his eyes on it also And the world community surely knows the U.S. has an interest because of its air force base there as well as space stations and its early warning system to detect incoming missiles. Surely she is aware at many gatherings of world leaders, Greenland is a hot topic. (See YouTube U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's latest speech on the Arctic region.) The world knows China and Russia has designs on Greenland. She must know that if the ice melts, there could be massive reserves of oil there. This would open up shipping lanes. So the idea of another country buying it, should not have come as a surprise. And offers should be expected and on the table when world leaders meet. Denmark in the past has been open to selling territories which it did in 1917 when they sold what is now known as the Virgin Islands to the United States. And the U.S. granted citizenship to the inhabitants of that land. All this has been discussed and done before. Trump saw what the PM was doing - trying to make him out to be some sort of nut job for even thinking about it. Greenland is of interest to the U.S. for many reasons. I think Trump was furious at her for dismissing it out of hand as the random musings of a reckless President,.She should have used some diplomatic language such as "we will have many topics of discussion on the agenda." The visit would have proceeded as planned. What was she to gain by calling it "absurd."
So as I see it, it's a win-win all around. Denmark doesn't have to stomach a Trump visit and Trump has exposed the hypocrisy of people who think it's okay for other countries to buy/sell territories, but when he suggests it everyone gets the vapors.
I am posting an article from The Atlantic that some may find useful.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/08/trump-wants-buy-greenland-apparently/596263/
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This is so embarrassing, at least HM has been sparred the indignity of having to meet and entertain him.
Over the prime minister's refusal to consider selling Greenland, apparently.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/20/us/politics/trump-cancels-greenland-trip.html?searchResultPosition=1
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