Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede said that everyone must respect the island's desire for independence, BTA reported.
Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede said today that he had not contacted US President-elect Donald Trump, who recently sought to establish control over the Arctic island, and called on everyone to respect the Danish territory's desire for independence, Reuters reported. At the same time, he added, quoted by the Associated Press, that the inhabitants of the resource-rich island do not want to be Americans.
Trump, who will take office on January 20, said earlier this week that US control over Greenland - a semi-autonomous territory that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark - is "absolutely necessary", and did not rule out the possibility of using military or economic means such as tariffs against Denmark to achieve this goal.
Egede calls for independence for Greenland, describing Denmark as a colonial power that has not behaved properly with the indigenous Inuit population.
"Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders. We do not want to be Danish, we do not want to be American. We want to be Greenlanders," he said. "We have a desire for independence, a desire to be masters of our own home... This is something that everyone should respect," Egede added at a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen.
At the same time, Egede said that Greenland is geographically part of North America and "a place that Americans see as part of their world." He added that he was open to discussions on topics that "unite us."
Trump's claims to Greenland have caused concern in Denmark, as well as across Europe. The United States is a key ally of the European Union and a leading member of NATO, and many Europeans were shocked by the suggestion that a future U.S. leader might even consider using force against an ally.
But Frederiksen said she saw a positive aspect to the discussion.
“The debate on Greenlandic independence and recent communications from the United States show us the great interest in Greenland,“ she said. “The United States is our closest ally and we will do everything to continue the strong cooperation,“ she said.
Greenland has a population of 57,000. At the same time, it is a vast territory, rich in natural resources, including oil, gas and rare earth elements, which are expected to become more accessible as permafrost melts due to climate change. It also has a key strategic location in the Arctic, where Russia, China and others are seeking to expand their influence.
Greenland, the world's largest island, is closer to the North American mainland than to Denmark. While Copenhagen is responsible for the island's foreign affairs and defense, the United States also shares responsibility for Greenland's defense and operates an air base there under a 1951 treaty.