On Tuesday, March 11, Greenland will hold general elections to elect the 31 members of the parliament, or Inatsisartut. The process will be marked by the debate on independence and the increasing pressure from Donald Trump to take control of the semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.
This Wednesday, Greenlanders woke up to a message from the President of the United States, who asserted that his government supports the right to self-determination of the mineral-rich island and even went as far as to welcome its population to the United States.
Many in Greenland are worried and offended by Trump’s threats to take control of their homeland, which, according to the president, the United States needs “for national security”.
What did Donald Trump say about Greenland?
“This evening, I also have a message for the incredible people of Greenland,” said Trump during his controversial speech before the joint session of Congress on Tuesday night. “We strongly support your right to determine your own future and, if you so choose, we welcome you to the United States of America”.
But Trump also pointed out that his government was “working with all parties involved to try to achieve it”, referring to his desire to acquire Greenland from Denmark, a long-time ally of Washington.
“We really need it for international global security. And I think we’re going to get it. One way or another, we’re going to get it,” pointed out Trump.
Trump’s intervention in Greenland’s internal politics is similar to the one made by his vice president JD Vance prior to Germany’s general elections in favor of the far-right party AfD.
Greenland wants independence but not to be part of the United States
Asked about the statements from the U.S. president, the Danish Foreign Minister said on Wednesday that he did not believe that the Greenlanders wanted to separate from Denmark to become “a fully integrated part of the United States.”
Lars Løkke Rasmussen tried to adopt an optimistic tone and stated that Trump’s reference to respecting the right of self-determination of Greenlanders was “the most important part of that speech.”
“I am very optimistic that there will be a Greenlandic decision on this. They want to relax their ties with Denmark and we are working on it, to have a more equitable relationship”, added the minister during a trip to Finland.
According to Løkke, it is important that next week’s parliamentary elections are free and fair “without any kind of international intervention”.
The Greenlanders will head to the polls on Tuesday. Trump’s recent comments about taking control of the island have sparked unprecedented interest in full independence from Denmark, which has become a key issue during the campaign.
Appealing directly to the Greenlanders, Trump said: “We will keep them safe. We will make them rich. And together we will take Greenland to levels they never thought were possible before.”
Anyway, through his Facebook account, Múte B. Egede, the head of government of Greenland, responded to Trump in harsh terms: “Greenland is ours. We do not want to be Americans, nor Danes, we are Greenlanders. The Americans and their leader must understand this. We are not for sale and they cannot just buy us, because our future is decided by us in Greenland”.