Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede said that the island's inhabitants will determine their own future and do not want to be either Danes or Americans. He wrote this in a post on "Facebook", quoted by Reuters, reports BTA.
His statement is in response to the words of US President Donald Trump, who yesterday again expressed his desire for Greenland, which is currently a semi-autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, to become part of the United States.
“We do not want to be either Americans or Danes – we are Kalaallit (from Greenlandic – Kalaallit Nunaat). The Americans and their leader must understand this“, Egede wrote. “Greenland is not for sale and cannot be taken. Our future will be decided by ourselves“, he added.
Greenland is currently governed by a caretaker government ahead of the upcoming elections on March 11. A major theme in the election campaign is the island's quest for independence, especially in the context of increased American interest.
Earlier today, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen stressed the importance of Trump's recognition of Greenland's right to self-determination in his address to the US Congress.
Social surveys show that most Greenlanders are against the island joining the US, although a majority supports possible independence from Denmark. The Danish government also maintains the position that Greenland's future is in the hands of its inhabitants and the island is not for sale.