The Prime Minister of Greenland, Múte Egede, has once again rejected Donald Trump’s claim of ownership over the Arctic island in an interview with Fox News. Egede emphasized that the Greenlanders do not want to be Americans, stating, “We want to be Greenlanders, not Danes, not Americans.”
While there are areas of potential cooperation, particularly in defense and security, Egede mentioned that Greenland is open to US investment in the extraction of minerals on the island, given its vast, untapped resources. He also highlighted the country’s long history of cooperation with the US, saying, “We are close neighbors, we’ve worked together for the last 80 years, and I think we will have many offers for cooperation in the future.”
Egede emphasized that Greenland will remain a part of NATO and a strong partner of the US, reiterating that the country wishes to cooperate and have a strong partnership, but not as part of the US. This stance is in line with the government’s rejection of Trump’s initial proposal to buy Greenland in 2019, which was met with strong resistance from both the Danish and Greenlandic authorities.
Trump’s recent reiteration of the proposal, in December 2024, was met with a renewed rejection from the Danish government, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stating that Greenland is not for sale. The incoming US President, in a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, refused to rule out the use of economic or military measures to achieve this goal.