Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede has said that the island does not want to be either American or Danish, but instead seeks independence.
The Financial Times writes about this.
The official made the statement at a press conference on January 10. In it, he mentioned the desire of Greenlandʼs 57 000 residents to have "their own voice", gain independence from Denmark, and at the same time reject Donald Trumpʼs attempts to buy the island.
"The status quo is not an option. We donʼt want to be Danes, we donʼt want to be Americans, we want to be Greenlanders," said Mute Egede.
He added that the territory is open to cooperation with the United States, as it has been for a long time. The official described the military threat from Trump as serious, but stressed that Greenlanders should avoid panicking.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said at the same meeting that Greenlandʼs desire for independence was "legitimate and understandable". However, Frederiksen advocated for the preservation of the Kingdom of Denmark, which includes Greenland and the autonomous territory of the Faroe Islands.
"Personally, I believe that when we stick together, we are stronger in the global game," said the head of government.
Frederiksen added that Donald Trump had not spoken to her about Greenland since his election victory in November. She welcomed the US interest in the Arctic island due to the need for cooperation in investment, business and mineral extraction.
Greenland is self-governing in most matters, except for foreign policy and security, which are handled by Denmark. The island has long sought independence, but is struggling to achieve enough economic growth to sever ties with Copenhagen, the FT reports.
- In December 2024, Donald Trump declared that "possession and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity" for US national security. He had expressed interest in purchasing the island during his first term as president. Trump refused to rule out the possibility of using military action to acquire Greenland.
- Following Trumpʼs statement, Denmark decided to significantly increase defense spending for Greenland, and also changed the royal coat of arms to make it a more prominent symbol of Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
- Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen has dismissed the possibility of Greenland becoming a subject of the United States. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said that Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders and is not for sale.
- The US Congressman Mike Waltz said that Greenland is important to Washingtonʼs national security because of Russiaʼs ambitions in the Arctic.
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