Greenland’s Prime Minister, Múte B. Egede, had a clear message this month in response to renewed speculation about the island’s future, sparked by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s recent comments on acquiring Greenland. “We don’t want to be Danes. We don’t want to be Americans. We want to be Greenlanders,” he told reporters after a meeting in Copenhagen with Danish leaders.
Trump’s remarks, which included a suggestion that the U.S. might use military force to annex Greenland, sent ripples through Europe. Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark with a population of just 57,000, has long been part of the Kingdom of Denmark, but the comments raised questions about its future.
When asked if he had spoken with Trump, Egede said, “No, but we’re ready to talk.” This echoed Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s statement the day before, in which she mentioned she had requested a conversation with the incoming U.S. President.
Egede made it clear that Greenland wants to steer its own course. “There is more that unites us, but the desire to be master of one’s own house is understandable to everyone in the world,” he said. He pointed out that when he talks to leaders from other countries, he has to do so alongside the Danish ambassador, and he expressed a wish for Greenland to have more independence in these discussions. “That, I think, is legitimate, when one wants to build their country on those values,” he added.
Prime Minister Frederiksen also weighed in, stressing the importance of standing together as part of the Kingdom of Denmark, especially when facing pressures from major global players like the U.S., China, and Russia in the Arctic. “What matters the most right now is getting more elbow room in foreign policy. It’s something that we are looking at,” she said.
