Fmr Amb. Sands to Newsmax: Greenland Wants Independence From Denmark

Denmark's attempt to prevent Greenland from working closely with the U.S. and President Donald Trump ultimately will fail, former U.S. Ambassador Carla Sands told Newsmax on Friday.

Sands appeared on "Wake Up America" the same day Vice President J.D. Vance, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and their wives visited Pituffik Space Base in Greenland amid the backdrop of Trump having said the U.S. should, in some form, control the mineral-rich territory of Denmark, a traditional U.S. ally and NATO member.

Before the U.S. delegation's visit, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen praised Greenlanders and said they "have not been cowed."

Sands, who was ambassador to Denmark during the first Trump administration, told co-hosts Sharla McBride and Marc Lotter that Frederiksen's message likely didn't carry much weight.

"First of all, to the prime minister of Denmark's statement, Greenland doesn't want to be part of Denmark either. They want to be independent," Sands said. "So, this is a really rich coming from her.

"Up there, I think probably the Danish government [is] gleeful that they've scuttled a wonderful diplomatic moment for Greenlanders and the Americans. But it won't last because Greenland wants to be independent."

Sands added that an independent Greenland still could work closely with the U.S.

"There are ways to have independent countries have an association with the United States where we can secure them, and we can help to invest in them to build infrastructure and a prosperous economy," she said. "That's what America does. We've done it with places like Micronesia, Palau, they have something called a COFA [Compacts of Free Association] or a free association agreement with the United States.

"So, I think Greenlanders and President Trump will find a way to find each other and to secure Greenland."

Sands said Frederiksen's message before the U.S. delegation's visit destroyed "that beautiful diplomatic moment between the United States and Greenland."

"Vice presidential visits and the wife of the vice president visits always come with benefits, too," Sands said. "There are things that we do in a diplomatic relationship that are good for the other country, especially under a Trump administration, where it is a pure play and we're not pushing DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] or ideologies that the other country doesn't like or want.

"This is, you know, trade or aid generally. And so, it would have been a great economic opportunity for the Greenlanders to get that start."

Sands said the Danish government "would be so smart to sit down with President Trump and work out a deal."

"Instead, they're trying to block all progress," she said. "That's kind of how they tried to hide communications when the Chinese ambassador threatened the Faroe Islands with no trade deal if they didn't use Huawei for their 5g, a Chinese state-owned enterprise.

"So there's a history of this. It's shortsighted, not long sighted. And I know that it will be unsuccessful because the Greenlanders are going independent. And so since that's happening, the people running Denmark should really face reality and work out a plan that everyone can live with."

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