Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede said on Friday he was ready to speak with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who said he wants to take control over the Arctic Island as an “absolute necessity”.
Trump, who will take office on January 20, did not rule out the potential use of military or economic measures, including tariffs against Denmark, to annex Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, to the U.S.
At a Copenhagen press conference, when asked if he had had contact with Trump, Egede responded, “No, but we are ready to talk.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who also addressed the press conference, said on Thursday she had asked for a meeting with Trump, but did not expect it to happen before his inauguration.
Greenland, home to 57,000 people, was a Danish colony until 1953 but is now a self-governing Danish territory. In 2009, it secured the right to claim independence through a vote.
The U.S. maintains a military base in the northern part of the strategically important territory.
Egede emphasised Greenland’s aspirations, saying, “We have a desire for independence, a desire to be the master of our own house… This is something everyone should respect.”
“But that doesn’t mean we are cutting all ties, all cooperation, and all relations with Denmark,” he said.
An independence movement has gained momentum in recent years, which Egede discussed in his New Year speech.
Meanwhile, European security analysts agreed there’s no real likelihood of Trump using the military against NATO ally Denmark, but nevertheless expressed profound disquiet.
Paris-based analyst Alix Frangeul-Alves said Trump’s language is “all part of his ‘Make America Great Again’ mode,” adding that Greenland’s soils contain rare earth minerals crucial for advanced and green technologies, which are key to national security. Notably, China dominates the global supply of these valuable minerals.
“Any policy made in Washington is made through the lens of the competition with China,” said Frangeul-Alves, who focuses on U.S. politics for the German Marshall Fund.
