Greenland leader calls for greater independence from Denmark as Trump seeks purchase

Prime Minister Múte Egede said in the annual speech that Greenland must take greater control of its own diplomacy and international alliances, suggesting that deference to Denmark on international affairs has held the country back.

“Like other countries in the world, we must work to remove the obstacles to cooperation, which we can describe as the shackles of the colonial era, and move on,” Egede said.

He continued, “The history and current conditions have shown that our cooperation with the Kingdom of Denmark has not succeeded in creating full equality.”

Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark. It gained independence and ceased functioning as a colony in 1979 after a referendum found a majority of Greenland citizens favored greater autonomy.

It is one of three autonomous countries under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Denmark, the others being the Faroe Islands and Denmark proper.

Greenland does not have authority over its own international affairs, which are handled by the continental kingdom.

“Our cooperation with other countries, and our trade relations, cannot continue to take place solely through Denmark,” Egede said in his address. “It is about time that we ourselves take a step and shape our future, also with regard to who we will cooperate closely with, and who our trading partners will be.”

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President-elect Donald Trump recently revisited his aspirations to purchase the entirety of Greenland and bring it under U.S. control.

“For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” Trump said last month on his proprietary social media site, Truth Social.

The proposition drew ire from Egede, who responded, “We are not for sale, and we will not be for sale.”