GREENLAND's prime minister called for independence from Denmark in his New Year’s speech.
This week Greenland prime minister, Múte Egede, called for independence from Denmark and the removal of the “shackles” of colonialism.
This follows Trump's proposal to purchase Greenland from Denmark. The island, with 60,000 residents, is the world’s largest and has been part of Denmark since colonial times. It gained its parliament in 1979 but remains under Denmark's control in terms of foreign and defence policy.
Following Trump's proposal, Denmark announced plans to increase Greenland's defence funding by at least €1.3 billion. Danish defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen described the timing as an "irony of fate”.
This isn't the first time Trump has expressed interest in purchasing Greenland. During his first term, he proposed the idea to Denmark and reiterated the notion last month, calling the acquisition of Greenland an "absolute necessity" for the United States.
“It is now time to take the next step for our country,” said Greenland’s prime minister Múte Egede.
The 2009 agreement with Denmark stipulates that Greenland can only declare independence after holding a successful referendum.
Greenland's prime minister hopes that this referendum could coincide with the island's upcoming parliamentary election in April as “work has already begun on creating the framework for Greenland as an independent state”.
“Like other countries in the world, we must work to remove the obstacles to co-operation, which we can describe as the shackles of the colonial era, and move on,” said Egede.
“Our co-operation with other countries, and our trade relations, cannot continue to take place solely through Denmark."
Trump is interested in acquiring Greenland due to its rich mineral resources and the presence of a U.S. military base, which is valued for its strategic importance in security and trade.
However, Egede declared that Greenland is “not for sale” and in 2019, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the proposal “absurd”.
