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Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede said on Wednesday that the people of Greenland will decide their own future and do not want to be part of Denmark or the United States. This was in response to another statement by US President Donald Trump about his desire to establish control over the island, Reuters reports.
“We will get there – one way or another, we will get there. We will guarantee your security, we will make you richer, and together we will take Greenland to heights you have never imagined,” said Donald Trump in a speech to Congress in Washington.
The US President also addressed the people of Greenland directly: “We strongly support your right to determine your own future. If you choose that path, we look forward to welcoming you to the United States of America.”
The Prime Minister of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea promptly responded to the American leader’s statement.
“We do not want to be Americans, we do not want to be Danes – we are Kalaallit. The Americans and their leader must understand this,” Muthe Egede wrote on Facebook.
“We are not for sale and cannot be taken away. Our future is decided only by us in Greenland,” he stressed.
Greenland is currently experiencing a political transition ahead of the elections scheduled for 11 March. The main topic of the election campaign is the island’s independence from Denmark, especially in the context of Trump’s new interest in the territory.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen stressed that an important part of the US President’s speech was the recognition of Greenland’s right to self-determination.
According to recent polls, the overwhelming majority of Greenlanders oppose a possible accession to the United States, while a significant number support independence from Denmark.
The Danish government has reaffirmed that the future of Greenland should be decided solely by its people and that the island cannot be sold.
