Greenland PM Rejects Trump's Acquisition Offer: "We Are Not For Sale"
1min read Greenland's Prime Minister, Múte Bourup Egede, has categorically rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion that the United States could acquire the territory. In a facebook post, Egede stated, "We don't want to be Americans, nor Danes; We are Kalaallit. The Americans and their leader must understand that. We are not for sale and cannot simply be taken."
Trump, in his speech to a joint session of Congress, made a direct appeal to Greenlanders, stating, "We strongly support your right to determine your own future, and if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America. We will keep you safe. We will make you rich. And together we will take greenland to heights like you have never thought possible before." However, his message came with undertones of great power politics, as he suggested moving Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip and turning it into a "Riviera of the Middle East," announced his intention to regain control of the Panama Canal, and stopped arms deliveries to Ukraine after the country's president was slow to endorse Washington's roadmap for a peace deal with Russia.
Greenlanders, however, are not interested in Trump's sales pitch. Lisa Aardestrup, an 18-year-old language student, expressed concern that becoming part of the United States would damage Greenland's environment and the fishing industry, which accounts for about 90% of the country's exports, while fueling inflation and higher taxes. She also worries about importing the school shootings, angry politics, and homelessness that dominate the news from the U.S., fearing that would threaten Greenland's culture.
Greenlanders voted overwhelmingly in favor of self-government in a 2009 referendum that also established a pathway to independence whenever the people of the island support such a move. Under the terms of that referendum, Denmark remains responsible for Greenland's defense and foreign affairs, with the local government controlling other matters. Denmark's foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, said he believed Trump's reference to respecting Greenlanders' right to self-determination was the most important part of his speech. He added that it was important for next week's elections to be free and fair "without any kind of international intervention."
