The state visit to Denmark by US President Donald Trump, which was scrapped 12 days before it was scheduled to take place, cost Denmark at least DKK4 million ($600,000) in preparations by the police.
“Expenses included compensation as a result of withdrawn days off, cancellation of planned accommodation, a number of minor completed operational costs for equipment and material and planning time” the National Police admitted to Danish Radio.
Remarkably, resources used by Denmark’s police security service PET are not included in the estimate, as are other related costs. Denmark’s military, royal family and Copenhagen Airport were also engaged in major preparations for the state visit by the US president. The army was set to assist with the security operation by providing special forces and helicopters, while palace staff were subject to cancellations of their annual leave in order to complete preparations. Costs related to these elements are currently unknown.
Had the visit gone ahead as planned, it would have cost as much as DKK 33 million ($4.9 million) for the police alone.
That sum includes DKK 17 million (2.5 million) on additional police resources, recalling personnel from time off, transport and overtime. Due to elevated security measures, police officers from across the country would have been shipped to the capital to assist in operations.
Trump’s visit would also have involved ongoing assessments of security threats and possible demonstrations, which means that exact figures are subject to a certain amount of uncertainty, the police admitted.
Trump abruptly cancelled the visit, citing Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s dismissal of a potential sale of Greenland to the US, which she called “an absurd discussion”.
Denmark is a very special country with incredible people, but based on Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s comments, that she would have no interest in discussing the purchase of Greenland, I will be postponing our meeting scheduled in two weeks for another time....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 20 август 2019 г.
....The Prime Minister was able to save a great deal of expense and effort for both the United States and Denmark by being so direct. I thank her for that and look forward to rescheduling sometime in the future!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 20 август 2019 г.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Kim Kielsen humorously retorted by claiming that his government was considering buying America back from the US government after claiming historic rights to the nation.
“Leif the Lucky and his father were the first Europeans to discover America, and both lived and grew up here. So it’s only natural for the Greenlandic nation to get USA back”, Kielsen told the Danish newspaper Politiken.
Chief of #Greenland Kim Kielsen wants to buy the #USA.
— $✝️Ⓡ🅰️🆖 (@jannestrang) 21 август 2019 г.
"It was Leif who discovered America so it's only natural we get it back […] Taking the US national debt into consideration the price is likely affordable. And if Trump is included in the deal, we expect a further discount." pic.twitter.com/iS6m5hiWs0
An acquisition of Greenland, which was last discussed in an unsuccessful 1946 deal for $100 million, would have made the US the second-largest nation in the world by land area, after only Russia.
