Taiwo Popoola
Greenland’s Prime Minister, Mute Egede, on Wednesday said that the Greenlandic people would determine their future and do not want to be Danes nor Americans.
This is coming in reaction to US President Donald 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.
“We are not for sale and cannot be taken. Our future is determined by us in Greenland,” Egede said in a post on Facebook.
Greenland government is currently in a caretaker period leading up to an election scheduled for March 11.
The campaign is said to be centred primarily on the island’s independence aspirations in light of Trump’s interest.
In the same vein, Denmark’s foreign minister said earlier on Wednesday that it was significant that Trump had recognised Greenland’s right to self-determination in his address to Congress.
Most Greenlanders have opposed joining the United States, although a majority favour eventual independence from Denmark.
According to the Danish government, the Arctic island must decide its future and is not for sale.
“(Trump) said (they) respect the right to Greenlandic self-determination, and that I think was the most important part of that speech,” Danish foreign minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen said.
