Stellan Skarsgård has called out Donald Trump over the latter’s demand that Denmark hand over its autonomous territory of Greenland, calling the move “absurd” and branding Trump a “little man.”
Stellan Skarsgård calls out Donald Trump
The Swedish actor addressed the escalating stand-off between Trump and Europe while speaking at the winners’ press conference at the European Film Awards on January 17. Skarsgård attended alongside Norwegian director Joachim Trier, whose drama Sentimental Value dominated the evening, with Skarsgård winning Best Actor.
Asked to comment on the Greenland situation, Skarsgård responded bluntly. “You want us to comment on what’s happening in Greenland?” he said, before adding: “It’s absurd, isn’t it? It’s a little man who got megalomania, and he’s trying to take the world. He took Venezuela, suddenly, and that’s for Chevron. He’ll take Greenland for minerals. He’s a criminal.” (via Deadline)
Skarsgård was referring to reports that the U.S. is pushing to expand Chevron’s oil production license in Venezuela following a military operation in early January that removed President Nicolás Maduro from power.
Trump has publicly argued that acquiring Greenland would strengthen U.S. security, citing concerns over Chinese and Russian interest in the Arctic region, which is home to around 57,000 people, mostly Indigenous Inuit. Critics, however, say the push is driven by Greenland’s untapped mineral resources.
Tensions escalated further on the same evening as Trump announced he would impose 25% trade tariffs on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland if a deal to acquire Greenland was not reached. Denmark and its European allies rejected the threat, calling it “unacceptable” and likening it to “blackmail,” with the European Union set to hold an emergency meeting.
Greenland’s leaders and residents have also pushed back, with protests held in both Greenland and Denmark rejecting any U.S. takeover. Denmark has maintained that the territory is not for sale and has emphasized Greenland’s autonomy under the Self-Government Act of 2008.
