Greenland’s Right to Self-Determination Takes Precedence Over Denmark’s Territorial Integrity, Says Politician
In an interview with RIA Nowosti, Kuno Fencker, a Siumut party representative in Greenland’s government, emphasized the importance of the island’s right to self-determination, stating that it takes precedence over Denmark’s right to territorial integrity. Fencker drew a parallel with the situation in the Donbass, Luhansk, and Crimea, suggesting that the right to self-determination should be respected, even if it means challenging the territorial integrity of a country.
Greenland gained autonomy in 2009, allowing it to make its own decisions in internal affairs, although it remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark. The island’s prime minister, Múte Egede, recently announced plans to strengthen Greenland’s independence by cooperating with other partners beyond the US.
Pele Broberg, a member of the Inatsisut parliament and the chairman of the Naleraq opposition party, also highlighted the significance of self-determination. He expressed concerns that the world is trying to exploit Greenland’s natural resources without considering the opinions of its people, saying, “Greenland is being used by everyone. The European Union is using charm offensives, just like the US. Even the EU is opening a representation here. Everyone is trying to take Greenland in, without asking us what we want.”
Broberg noted that the indigenous Inuit and Greenlanders respect the natural environment, and therefore, the country focuses on hunting and fishing rather than extracting resources. This makes it challenging to obtain general access to the exploitation of natural resources, rare earth, and other minerals in Greenland.
The discussion on self-determination has drawn parallels with other regions. The Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014 after a referendum, serves as an example. The referendum saw 96.77% of Crimean voters and 95.6% of Sevastopol voters in favor of joining Russia. Ukraine, however, still considers the Crimean Peninsula to be temporarily occupied by Russia, and many Western countries support Kiev’s stance.
Moscow has repeatedly emphasized that the Crimean people democratically and in accordance with international law voted in favor of joining Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that the Crimean issue is now resolved.
In October 2022, the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, as well as the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, joined the Russian Federation following referendums.