Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede declared Tuesday that the Arctic island would determine its own future, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed comments about taking control of the Danish autonomous territory.
Speaking at a press conference, Egede said, “We are Greenlanders. We don’t want to be Americans. We don’t want to be Danish either. Greenland’s future will be decided by Greenland.” He emphasized that Greenland’s people and government would determine the island’s destiny.
Trump, who took office on Monday, caused concern in early January by refusing to rule out military intervention to bring Greenland and the Panama Canal under U.S. control. On Monday, while he did not mention Greenland during his inauguration speech, Trump addressed the matter when questioned by reporters in the Oval Office.
“Greenland is a wonderful place, we need it for international security,” Trump said. “I’m sure that Denmark will come along — it’s costing them a lot of money to maintain it, to keep it.”
Greenlandic and Danish officials strongly defended the island’s right to self-determination in response.
Egede noted the country’s openness to dialogue with the U.S. to address security interests in the Arctic, particularly amid rising tensions with China and Russia. However, he described Trump’s recent remarks as “worrying” but urged calm.
Greenland, the world’s largest island, is home to a U.S. military base in the northwest and occupies a strategic position in the Arctic, where melting ice is opening new shipping lanes. It also holds significant untapped mineral and oil reserves, though oil and uranium exploration are prohibited.
“We have cooperated with the U.S. on security issues for more than 80 years,” Egede said, adding that efforts were underway to arrange a meeting with U.S. officials to clarify Greenland’s stance.
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen condemned any attempts by nations to seize another country. “Of course, we can’t have a world order where countries, if they’re big enough, can just help themselves to what they want,” he said.
Greenland is set to hold elections before April 6, with independence expected to dominate the agenda. Currently, the territory relies on subsidies from Copenhagen, which account for a fifth of its GDP, alongside its fishing industry.
Although Greenland enjoys autonomy, Denmark retains control over judicial affairs, monetary policy, foreign affairs, defense, and security.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reaffirmed the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination but highlighted the importance of Denmark’s alliance with the U.S., describing it as Denmark’s most critical partnership since World War II.
Frederiksen also acknowledged the challenges posed by Trump’s presidency, writing on Instagram that Europe would need to “navigate a new reality.”
Key Danish party leaders were briefed on the situation Tuesday, with Green Left leader Pia Olsen Dyhr describing the upcoming years as “difficult.”