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The leaders of the political parties in Greenland rejected the aspirations of the Trump administration to annex the island to the U.S.
“We do not want to be Americans, we do not want to be Danish, we want to be Greenlandic,” declared Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the Prime Minister of Greenland, along with four party leaders this Friday.
The future of Greenland must be decided by its people, they expressed.
"As leaders of the Greenlandic party, we would like to emphasize once again our desire for the United States' disdain for our country to come to an end," they add
The leaders emphasized that the Greenlandic people must "decide the future of our country ourselves, without pressure to make hasty decisions, delays, or interference from other countries."
In addition to Nielsen, the statement was signed by Pele Broberg, Múte B. Egede, Aleqa Hammond, and Aqqalu C. Jerimiassen.
"The work on the future of Greenland is being conducted in dialogue with the Greenlandic people and is being prepared based on international laws," they concluded.
On Friday, Trump stated that his government will act in Greenland “whether they like it or not” to prevent Russia or China from “occupying” the island.
In a press conference about oil, he stated: “we will not have Russia or China as neighbors”.
Trump said he would prefer to achieve it "in the easiest way" through an agreement, but he added that, if that doesn't happen, they will do it "in the hardest way."
The White House confirmed this Tuesday that Trump has reactivated his interest in acquiring Greenland and that his administration is not ruling out any options, “including military,” to ensure control over the territory, according to the same document.
The presidential spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, stated that “the acquisition of Greenland is a national security priority” and that Washington aims to “protect its strategic interests in the Arctic against its adversaries.”
The text places the announcement a few days after the military operation in Venezuela in which Nicolás Maduro was captured and states that Washington's stance has "triggered alarms" in Europe.
Trump believes that Greenland —administered by Denmark and with extensive internal autonomy— is key for defense and natural resources.
In response to questions on the topic, he said: “We will take care of Greenland in two months. Let’s talk about Greenland in 20 days.”
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