Greenlanders push back after Trump calls island a 'piece of ice' at Davos

Businessinsider reports that three Greenland residents told the outlet on Wednesday they objected to President Donald Trump's repeated description of Greenland as a "piece of ice" and his repeated misnaming of it as "Iceland" during a speech to World Economic Forum attendees at Davos.

In the speech, Trump also called the autonomous Danish territory a "big, beautiful piece of ice," said the US "alone can defend this giant piece of ice," described it as a "core national security interest," and called for "immediate negotiations" about the US taking control of Greenland.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Residents said the rhetoric is demeaning: 32-year-old Ole Olsvig, an entrepreneur and tourist guide in Qaarsut in North Greenland, called the remarks "outrageous," "disrespectful," and "commoditizing," saying the language "erases people and implies disposability" and that "Greenland is like being treated as an asset, not a society of people." The reporting also notes that technically about 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant ice sheet and that the US has discussed acquiring Greenland since the 19th century.

Key Topics

World, Greenland, Donald Trump, World Economic Forum, Raw Arctic, Qaarsut