Greenland is not for sale, its leader says in response to Trump
On Monday, Greenland's elected leader stated that the territory is not up for sale. This statement comes in reaction to remarks made by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump about the "ownership and control" of this large Arctic island, which has been under Danish rule for more than 600 years.
"Greenland belongs to us. We are not for sale and will never be. We cannot give up our long fight for independence," stated Mute Egede, the island's Prime Minister, in a written message.
On Sunday, Trump revealed his decision to appoint Ken Howery, who previously served as the ambassador to Sweden, as his ambassador to Copenhagen. He also discussed the situation regarding Greenland, which is a semi-autonomous region of Denmark and home to a significant U.S. Air Force base.
On Truth Social, Trump stated, "The United States believes that having ownership and control over Greenland is essential for national security and global freedom."
Trump, set to take office on January 20, did not provide any further details regarding the statement.
Denmark's foreign ministry and the office of the prime minister were unable to provide a comment right away.
Rasmus Jarlov, a member of the opposition Conservative Party, emphasized on social media platform X that the Danish government needs to clearly assert that Greenland's sovereignty is non-negotiable and not open for debate.
"US efforts to assert control over Danish land should be forbidden and opposed. They shouldn’t have any presence there at all," stated Jarlov, the chair of the parliament's defense committee.
The island, with its capital Nuuk located closer to New York than to Copenhagen, is rich in minerals, oil, and natural gas. However, progress has been slow, which means its economy heavily depends on fishing and yearly financial support from Denmark.
Greenland, home to the Pituffik air base, holds significant strategic value for the US military and its missile detection systems. This is because the quickest path from Europe to North America passes through the island.
In 2019, while he was in office, Trump showed interest in purchasing Greenland. However, both Denmark and the local government of Greenland quickly dismissed the idea before any official talks could begin.
At that time, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described Trump's proposal as "ridiculous," prompting him to call her rejection "rude" and ultimately resulting in him canceling his trip to Copenhagen.
Frederiksen continues to serve as the prime minister of Denmark.
Denmark became a member of the European Union in 1973, but Greenland is not treated as part of EU territory. Since 2009, Greenland has had the option to seek independence from Denmark. The island, home to about 56,000 people, relies heavily on annual financial support from the Danish government, and up until now, it has chosen not to pursue independence.
On Sunday, Trump separately warned that the US might reclaim control of the Panama Canal. He claimed that Panama was imposing inflated fees for using the crucial Central American route, which drew a strong response from Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino.
(Revised by Georgi Gotev)
