Greenland, the world’s largest island, has not been out of the headlines due to the interest of the newly elected US President, Donald Trump. While the Republican sees the strategic necessity of his country owning the island, the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, and the Greenlandic Premier, Múte Egede, presented their vision for the future of the Arctic region at a joint press conference in Copenhagen on Friday. Both expressed their willingness to discuss the issue with the newly elected US President.
Egede emphasized the desire for Greenland’s independence, rejecting the status quo. The 37-year-old politician was quoted by local media, saying, “We want to be neither Danes nor Americans. We want to be Greenlanders.”
When asked if he had spoken with Trump recently, Egede denied it, but showed a willingness to engage in dialogue. He stressed that the wish of his people to be their own master in their homeland should be respected, but this did not mean cutting off all ties with Denmark.
Frederiksen, on the other hand, expressed her desire to see Greenland remain a part of the kingdom, but acknowledged the legitimacy and understandability of the islanders’ desire for independence. She also described the US interest in the matter as “positive.” Prior to the press conference, she had announced her intention to request a meeting with Trump, which would likely take place before his inauguration on January 20.
In December, Trump wrote on his platform, Truth Social, that it was in the national security interest of the US and the freedom of the world for the country to own and control Greenland. During his first term, he had also proposed buying the island. To fuel the debate, his son, Eric, posted a meme on the platform X, showing Trump buying Canada, Greenland, and Panama on Amazon.
Until 1953, Greenland was an official colony, and then became a province. Through a referendum in 1979, the island first gained autonomy from Denmark, and in 2009, it gained the right to demand independence through a referendum. In 2023, the local government presented its first draft of a possible constitution.