Greenland’s political parties said they did not want to come under Washington after US President Donald Trump again suggested using force to seize the mineral-rich Danish autonomous territory, sparking global concern.
“We don’t want to be Americans, we don’t want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders,” the leaders of five parties in Greenland’s parliament said in a joint statement. “The future of Greenland must be decided by Greenlanders.”
On Friday the 9th, Trump said that Washington would “do something about Greenland by hook or by crook.”
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American? No
“No other country can interfere in this. We must decide the future of our country ourselves – without pressure to make a hasty decision, without procrastination and without interference from other countries,” they stressed.
Julius Nielsen, a 48-year-old fisherman in the capital Nuuk, told AFP: “Not American! We were a colony for so many years. We are not ready to be a colony again, to be colonized.”
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A Danish colony until 1953, Greenland gained autonomy 26 years later and is contemplating eventually loosening its ties with Denmark.
Many Greenlanders remain cautious about making this a reality.
“I really like the idea of us being independent, but I think we should wait. Not for now. Not today,” Pitsi Mari, who works in telecommunications, told AFP.
The coalition currently in power is not in favor of hasty independence. The sole opposition party, Naleraq, which won 24.5% of the vote in the 2025 legislative elections, wants to cut ties as quickly as possible, but is also a signatory to the joint declaration.
“It is time to start preparing for the independence we have fought for for so many years,” said Rep. Juno Berthelsen in a Facebook post.
This Thursday, the 8th, the Reuters agency revealed that the United States authorities are considering offering up to US$100,000 per inhabitant of Greenland to convince them to separate from Denmark and annex the island to the USA.
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According to the agency, although the exact amount and payment logistics are unclear, American officials, including White House advisors, discussed figures ranging from US$10,000 to US$100,000 per person. Authorities in Copenhagen and Nuuk have already said the territory is not for sale.
Denmark and other European allies have expressed shock at Trump’s threats to take control of Greenland, where the United States already has a military base.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated on Monday the 5th that a seizure of power by the United States in Greenland would be equivalent to the end of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military alliance.
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Trump dismissed the concerns of Denmark, an ally that joined the United States in the controversial invasion of Iraq in 2003. “I’m a fan of Denmark, too, I have to say. And you know, they were very nice to me,” Trump said.
“But you know, just because they have a boat that landed there 500 years ago doesn’t mean they own the land.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet next week with the Danish Foreign Minister and representatives of Greenland./With AFP and AP
