Oslo: Denmark has strongly opposed US President Donald Trump’s renewed push for Greenland to join the US, following his remarks during a joint session of Congress two days ago.
Trump declared on Wednesday that his administration would “strongly support” Greenlanders’ “right to determine” their future, adding: “And if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America.”
Acknowledging the uncertainty sparked by Trump’s statements, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reaffirmed Denmark’s position on Wednesday, emphasising that Greenland’s future is solely for its people to decide.
“Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders. This is a position that we very strongly support from the Danish government, ” she said.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Mute Egede firmly rejected Trump’s claim, saying on social media that Greenlanders have no desire to become part of the US.
Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen echoed these sentiments, stressing that Greenland will never be part of the US.
“It is not, and it will never be, the case that the United States can dictate and get a part of the Danish Kingdom, ” he said.
Greenland, the world’s largest island with a population of around 60, 000, was a Danish colony until 1953, when it became an integral part of Denmark with Greenlanders given Danish citizenship.
In 1979, Greenland achieved home rule, gaining greater self-governance while Denmark retained authority over its foreign and defence policy.
This is not the first time Trump talked about taking over Greenland. Denmark has rejected the idea, saying the island is not up for sale.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Egede said on Wednesday that the Greenlandic people will determine their own future and do not want to be Danes nor Americans.
Egede made his comments in reaction to Trump, who on Tuesday reiterated his desire to make Greenland, currently a semi-autonomous territory of the kingdom of Denmark, part of the United States.
“We do not want to be Americans, nor Danes, we are Kalaallit (Greenlanders). The Americans and their leader must understand that, ” Egede said in a post on Facebook.
