Aalborg: Denmark's northern municipality of Aalborg has set a condition for funding the annual July 4 event celebrating US independence, requiring the exclusion of American officials as long as Washington's threats toward Greenland persist, public broadcaster DR reported.
According to Anadolu Agency - English, Aalborg Municipality communicated to local media its intention to withdraw support for the Rebild Festival if tensions over Greenland, the island which President Donald Trump claims will be taken over by the US for national security, continue. The municipality agreed to continue its financial backing only on the condition that US officials are no longer included in the program, which has typically featured representatives from the US Embassy and military personnel.
"We continue to want to mark our friendship with the United States, but we will not condone the current American government's actions towards the Kingdom of Denmark," Mayor of Aalborg Lasse Frimand Jensen told the Nordjyske newspaper. Jensen emphasized that it would not be suitable for a US military orchestra to perform at a Danish celebration when Washington is openly expressing its intention to take over Greenland.
Rebildselskabet, the Danish-American friendship association responsible for organizing the event held in Rebild municipality, plans to convene next week to deliberate on the situation. Both Aalborg and Rebild municipalities, located in Denmark's North Jutland region, contribute financially to the event, with Aalborg providing 300,000 kroner ($29,700) and Rebild 100,000 kroner (about $9,900).
The issue was exacerbated following a US military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, after which President Trump renewed his call for a takeover of Greenland citing "national security" concerns. "We need Greenland, from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it," he stated. Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, has consistently rejected any proposals suggesting a transfer of sovereignty to the US.