In response to President Trump’s ongoing claims that Greenland should become a U.S. territory, the island’s Prime Minister Mute Egede expressed that Mr. Trump is “very unpredictable, causing people to feel insecure” amid the shifting global power landscape.
Egede’s conversation with Denmark’s public broadcaster, DR, was made public on Monday, just one day prior to voters on the expansive yet sparsely populated island casting their ballots in an election now drawing heightened attention due to Mr. Trump’s comments.
Greenland operates as a semi-autonomous territory under Denmark, possessing its own parliament, and Egede leads the Ataqatigiit party, which advocates for independence.
“We deserve to be treated with dignity, and I believe the American president hasn’t done that in recent times since taking office,” Egede stated during his interview with DR.
“The recent actions of the American president suggest that we are discouraged from getting as close to (the U.S.) as we might have desired in the past,” he added. “We need to draw a line in the sand and focus more on the nations that demonstrate respect for the future we aim to create.
Egede’s interview with DR occurred before Mr. Trump made his latest comments about Greenland on social media, as reported by the AFP news agency.
“The United States strongly supports the people of Greenland’s right to determine their own future,” Mr. Trump stated in a post late Sunday. “We will continue to KEEP YOU SAFE, just as we have since World War II. We are prepared to INVEST BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to generate new jobs and MAKE YOU RICH — and if you so desire, we welcome you to join the Greatest Nation anywhere on Earth, the United States of America!”
Earlier this month, in an address to Congress, Mr. Trump addressed Greenland with increased emphasis, highlighting that it is home to the U.S. military’s northernmost base.
Strategically located between the U.S., Russia, and Europe, Greenland holds economic and defense significance, especially as melting sea ice presents new shipping routes through the Arctic. The island is also rich in natural gas, oil, and valuable mineral resources.
“We need Greenland for national security and even for international security. We’re collaborating with all involved parties to try and secure it,” Mr. Trump told Congress. “It’s crucial for international world security, and I’m optimistic that we will obtain it — one way or another, we will achieve it.”
“We don’t aspire to be Americans or Danes; we are Kalaallit,” Egede stated in response to Mr. Trump’s address, using the Greenlandic term for the island’s indigenous people. “The Americans and their leaders must understand this. We are not for sale, nor can we be simply taken. Our future will be determined by us in Greenland.”
