The mute Egede, who had previously said territory was “not for sale”, underscored people’s desire to be “masters of their own house”.
Greenlanders want to be neither Americans nor Danes, the Arctic island’s prime minister said after US President-elect Donald Trump refused to rule out using military force to conquer the territory.
Prime Minister Mute Egede, who had insisted the area was “not for sale” after Trump expressed his “ownership and control intentions” last month, expressed his openness to working with them at a news conference in Copenhagen on Friday United States expressed.
But he also underscored Greenland’s independence aspirations, which have gained momentum in recent years as Danish colonial abuses against the predominantly Inuit population came to light.
“Greenland is for the Greenlandic people. We don’t want to be Danes, we don’t want to be Americans. We want to be Greenlandic,” he said at a press conference alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
“We have the desire for independence, the desire to be masters of our own house… Everyone should respect that,” Egede said.
“But that does not mean that we break off all ties, all cooperation and all relations with Denmark,” he added.
He also pointed out that Greenland is part of the North American continent and “a place that Americans consider part of their world.” He said he was open to conversations with Trump about what “unites us.”
“Collaboration is about dialogue. Collaboration means working towards solutions,” he said.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who also attended the press conference, said: “The debate about Greenland’s independence and the recent announcements from the USA show us the great interest in Greenland.” Events that have given many people in Greenland and Denmark a lot of thought and triggered feelings.
“The United States is our closest ally and we will do everything we can to continue strong cooperation,” she said.
“Absolute necessity”
Earlier this week, Trump refused to rule out using military or economic force to bring Greenland under U.S. control. Trump said last month that “ownership and control” of Greenland was an “absolute necessity” for the US as it seeks to counter growing Russian and Chinese interest in the Arctic region.
Trump had already considered purchasing Greenland during his first term as president from 2017 to 2021 and even postponed a visit to Denmark in 2019 after Frederiksen rejected the idea.
A “private” visit to the area by his son Donald Trump Jr. this week sparked further speculation that the president-elect would make a push to purchase Greenland when he takes office on January 20.
The US maintains a military base in the northern part of the strategically important territory, which is home to 57,000 people.
Greenland was a Danish colony from 1721 to 1953, but is now a self-governing Danish territory. In 2009, it secured the right to claim independence through a vote.
