Well, that’s one way to swear in the new president…
A Danish politician left the European Parliament speechless today when he issued Donald Trump with a very direct warning over Greenland – complete with a choice four-letter word.
For weeks, Trump has been ramping up calls for the US to either purchase or stage a takeover of the ‘strategically located’ nation, which is an autonomous territory of EU member Denmark.
Addressing the 47th President of the United States, right-wing MEP Anders Vistisen responded to his statements: ‘Dear President Trump, listen very carefully.
‘Greenland has been part of the Danish kingdom for 800 years [sic]. It’s an integrated part of our country. It is not for sale.’
In case his message wasn’t clear, Vistisen added pointedly: ‘Let me put it in words you might understand, Mr Trump. F**k off.’
An official took the MEP to task over his coarse language, warning: ‘If the translation was correct, the term you used is not allowed in this house and there will be consequences to the message you have used.
‘It is not okay in this house of democracy, thank you. Regardless of what we think of Mr Trump, use of such language.’
Vistisen later wrote on X that the parliament was threatening to fine him over the expletive-laden speech.
‘Fines if you tell the truth about foreigners and crime! Fines if you tell the truth about the Greenlanders! Fines if you tell the truth to Trump!’ he wrote on X.
Sharing video of the unorthodox exchange on social media, Vistisen said that Greenland has been a sovereign territory of Denmark for ‘more [than] double the time the US has existed.’
He added: ‘Any true patriot should understand that this is an unacceptable attack on national sovereignty!’
On his return to the Oval Office Trump on Monday, Trump reiterated previous statements that the US should acquire Greenland for ‘international security.’
‘Greenland is a wonderful place. We need it for international security. And I’m sure that Denmark will come along — it’s costing them a lot of money to maintain it, to keep it,’ the Republican leader said.
Vistisen is the Chief Whip of the Danish People’s Party, which forms part of the far-right European Parliament faction Patriots for Europe.
The group was initiated by Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, an outspoken ally of Trump.
Vistisen’s outburst at the new President marks a potential rift in the bloc after Orbán hailed Trump’s victory as a new opportunity for ‘patriots’ in Europe.
The populist Hungarian leader, who has a long has a long record of inflammatory statements about the EU, congratulated Trump on his victory in a post on X, alongside a video in which he talked about ‘occupying Brussels’.
‘Now it’s our turn to shine! It’s our turn to occupy Brussels!’ he said, in reference to what he called ‘a great patriotic faction’ in Europe which he suggested could work with the American president.
Trump has faced repeated warnings from across Europe regarding his apparent ambitions surrounding Greenland.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte Egede’s both stated that ‘Greenland is not for sale’ and that it would not be in the future.
Earlier this month, the Danish king changed the royal coat of arms to more prominently feature Greenland.
Germany also slammed the president-elect’s comments. A spokesperson said during a press conference that ‘borders must not be moved by force.’
At a press briefing, a spokesperson for the European Commission said it ‘will not go into the specifics’ of Trump’s remarks amid intense questioning over how it would respond to a US attack on Greenland.
‘It is clear that the sovereignty of states has to be respected,’ spokesperson Anitta Hipper said.
‘There is no question of the EU letting other nations in the world, whoever they may be, attack its sovereign borders,’ French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the France Inter radio station.
He added that while he did not believe the US ‘would invade’ Greenland ‘we have entered an era that is seeing the return of the law of the strongest’.
‘We are a strong continent, we need to strengthen ourselves further,’ he went on, warning that Europe needs to ‘wake up’ to the reality of an increasingly insecure world and ‘reinforce ourselves, militarily, in competition’.
Barrot added that he believed that the United States is ‘inherently not imperialistic’ and said he ‘did not believe’ that it is changing.
Trump previously questioned whether Denmark has any legal right or ‘interest’ to Greenland, stating: ‘People really don’t even know if Denmark has any legal right to it, but if they do, they should give it up, because we need it for national security.’
While geographically it is part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically linked with Europe – in particular Norway and Denmark – since the 9th Century. It has been inhabited by the Inuit people for around 800 years.
It was colonised in 1721 with the permission of the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway and remained a colony of Denmark until the 1950s. It is now an autonomous territory of Denmark.
The Danish government has control of Greenland’s foreign and economic policy, but the territory left the EU in 1985 following a referendum.
The US has a military base there given its strategic position as the shortest oceanic crossroads between North America and Europe.
The island also has a large supply of valuable rare earth minerals – like uranium – not found in the US.
