The outgoing prime minister of Greenland said Thursday that he plans to summon the leaders from all parties within the territory to issue a joint rejection of U.S. President Donald Trump’s effort to take control of the Arctic island.
During a Thursday Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Trump said U.S. control of Greenland might be essential for national security reasons and even suggested that NATO needs to be involved.
When asked by a reporter in regards to the U.S. taking up Greenland, Trump said, “I feel it is going to occur.”
Outgoing Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede responded to Trump’s recent comments in a Facebook post, writing, “Enough is enough.”
“Now the American president has once more evoked the concept of annexing us. I absolutely cannot accept that,” Egede wrote.
He said he had summoned the leaders from all parties to come back together “because this time we’d like to tighten our rejection to Trump.”
“Don’t keep treating us with disrespect,” he added.
During his meeting on Thursday, Trump said he was sitting “with the person who might be very instrumental” in helping the U.S. acquire Greenland, referencing Rutte, and told him that the U.S. needs the island for “national security.”
“I feel that’s why NATO may need to become involved in a way because we actually need Greenland for national security. It’s very essential,” Trump said.
Rutte did in a roundabout way comment on Trump’s remarks about Greenland, but he did say he didn’t “wish to drag NATO” into the difficulty.
“We all know things are changing there, and now we have to be there,” Rutte added.
After the conversation, Danish politician Rasmus Jarlov took to social media to say that Denmark did “not appreciate” the top of NATO “joking with Trump about Greenland.”
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“It will mean war between two NATO countries. Greenland has just voted against immediate independence from Denmark and doesn’t wish to be American ever,” Jarlov added.
Trump also said Thursday that Greenland’s election was “excellent” for america and “the one who did the very best is a excellent person, so far as we’re concerned.”
Jens-Frederik Nielsen’s Demokraatit, a pro-business party that favours a slow path to independence, won in Greenland’s parliamentary election on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Nielsen, 33, pushed back against Trump’s comments about acquiring Greenland “somehow.”
“We don’t wish to be Americans. No, we don’t wish to be Danes. We wish to be Greenlanders, and we would like our own independence in the longer term,” Nielsen told Sky News. “And we would like to construct our own country by ourselves.”
Trump has been speaking about acquiring Greenland since he took office for the second time in January.
During his speech to Congress earlier this month, Trump said his administration was “working with everybody involved to attempt to get it,” referring to his wishes to amass Greenland from Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally.
“We strongly support your right to find out your personal future, and should you select, we welcome you into america of America,” Trump said halfway through his 90-minute speech. “We are going to keep you secure. We are going to make you wealthy. And together we’ll take Greenland to heights like you could have never thought possible before.
“It’s a really small population, but a really, very large piece of land. And really, very essential for military security.”
Egede, Greenland’s outgoing prime minister, responded to Trump’s comments in his speech to Congress, saying, “Kalaallit Nunaat is ours,” using Greenlandic for the “Land of the People” or the “Land of the Greenlanders.”
On Jan. 20, Trump said, “Greenland is a superb place, we’d like it for international security. I’m sure that Denmark will come along — it’s costing them a number of money to keep up it, to maintain it.”
Egede also addressed those comments in January.
“We’re Greenlanders,” he said. “We don’t wish to be Americans. We don’t wish to be Danish either. Greenland’s future can be decided by Greenland. Our country and our people will resolve what happens to Greenland.”
Trump doubled down and said he wouldn’t rule out using force or economic pressure to make Greenland — a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally and a founding member of NATO — a part of america. Trump said it was a matter of national security for the U.S.
Greenland is home to a big U.S. military base. Trump has forged doubts on the legitimacy of Denmark’s claim to Greenland.
In February, a recent bill was introduced by U.S. Republican Rep. Buddy Carter that, if it passes the House and Senate, would give Trump the ability to enter into negotiations with Denmark to amass Greenland and rename it.
“America is back and can soon be larger than ever with the addition of Red, White, and Blueland,” Carter said in a press release. “President Trump has appropriately identified the acquisition of what’s now Greenland as a national security priority, and we’ll proudly welcome its people to affix the freest nation to ever exist when our Negotiator-in-Chief inks this monumental deal.”
Carter’s proposal gives the Office of the Secretary of the Interior six months after the bill’s potential passage to make sure that federal documents are updated to reflect the brand new name of “Red, White, and Blueland.”
Trump initially voiced his interest in Greenland in 2019 during his first term in office. He said Greenland was “hurting Denmark very badly” and costing it US$700 million a yr. His solution was to have america acquire Greenland, calling it “a big real estate deal.”
— With files from The Associated Press
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