Greenland’s prime minister has called for unity, urging citizens not to panic, after being thrown into a geopolitical battle between the US and Denmark by Donald Trump’s interest in taking control of the territory.
Múte Egede said he understood people may be concerned after the incoming US president declined to rule out using military and economic force to gain control of Greenland, but called on his fellow citizens to “put aside differences and stand together”.
His government released a statement on Wednesday night reiterating Greenland’s right to self-determination, adding that it “looks forward to establishing contact” with the Trump administration.
The statement, issued by the minister for statehood and foreign affairs, Vivian Motzfeldt, said the government recognised Greenland’s “decisive and important role for the US’s national security interests”, which is why, it said, it houses a US military base.
It added: “Greenland looks forward to working with the incoming US administration and other Nato allies to ensure security and stability in the Arctic region.”
At a press conference on Tuesday, Trump refused to rule out using military force to take over Greenland and the Panama canal, and also suggested he intended to use “economic force” to make Canada part of the US, causing controversy around the world.
Greenland is a former Danish colony and remains part of the kingdom of Denmark, which controls its foreign and security policy.
Before Trump’s intervention, a movement in favour of independence from Denmark had been gathering steam in Greenland. Egede, who is in favour of independence, had used his new year speech to make the case that his island should break free from “the shackles of colonialism” to shape its own future and has said that after the upcoming election there must be “major steps” towards “creating the framework for Greenland as an independent state”.
In order to become an independent state, a 2009 agreement with Denmark dictates that there must be a successful referendum in Greenland.
In order to gain independence from Denmark, the Greenlandic government’s statement said it was “open to increased and constructive cooperation with our closest neighbours.”
The government added: “Greenland looks forward to discussing the possibilities for business cooperation, the development of Greenland’s mineral sector, including critical minerals and other relevant areas with the US.”
On Thursday morning, the Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said: “We are very closely watching this rather dramatic development of the situation, which is, thank God, at the level of statements so far.
“We are interested in preserving peace and stability in this zone and are ready to cooperate with any parties for this peace and stability.”
Egede was in Copenhagen on Thursday, after meeting the Danish king on Wednesday. On Thursday he attended an annual new year reception. This week, he is also due to attend a meeting of the foreign, security and defence policy contact committee between Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
“I understand if citizens are concerned, it is important that we stand together and that we put all internal disagreements aside and continue our work together,” he told the Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq.
after newsletter promotion
“We must also remember that we have international cooperative relations and agreements that we must rely on and further develop, also to a large extent with the United States. We are allies and that is our starting point.”
Elections are due to be held in Greenland in the coming months, by 6 April at the latest. In light of this and the wider international context, Egede called for unity, saying: “Even though we would like to show differences between the parties, I would like to appeal that we stand together for our country and our future and not panic because of the situation that has arisen.”
At a new year’s reception in Copenhagen on Thursday, he said Greenland was entering “a new era … and a new year in which Greenland has been at the centre of the world”.
Egede added: “The Greenlandic people are one people, regardless of where they live. As a people, we must be united in the time we are in. We must be ready for a new future that we are on our way to.”
In Denmark, the prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, said on Wednesday night that she had met Egede earlier in the day and had spoken on the phone with several European leaders. “You can be sure that we, as a government, are doing everything we can to safeguard Denmark’s – and the Commonwealth’s – interests,” she wrote on Instagram. The US, she added, was Denmark’s closest ally.
The growing importance of the North Atlantic in what she described as “an increasingly turbulent world” meant more cooperation between allies was needed, including Nato, she said.
Frederiksen has reportedly summoned party leaders to a meeting on Thursday night to discuss the situation.
Her foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, has said he believes Denmark should wait until Trump is in office to act on his comments about Greenland.
