The Prime Minister of Greenland, Mute Bourup Egede, assured this Monday in a press conference in Nuuk, capital of Greenland, that his Government is open to greater cooperation with the United States. “We have to negotiate with the United States. We have started a dialogue and begun to explore the possibilities to cooperate with [el presidente electo, Donald Trump]”, he assured, as reported by the EFE agency. The self-governing Government of Greenland, dependent on the Kingdom of Denmark, manages by itself all powers except those of Defense and Foreign Affairs.
These statements by Egede come days after Trump, on January 7, repeated his interest in controlling Greenland, without excluding, as he assured, the use of force or economic pressure. “It is important that there is no military conflict. It was worrying to hear it the first time, but the vice president [electo de EE UU, J.D. Vance,] declared this Sunday that there is no interest in the use of weapons,” the Greenlandic Prime Minister reassured yesterday.
Most Greenlandic parties, including Egede’s Inuit Ataqatigiit (Inuit People’s Party) are in favor of independence from Denmark. Also the majority of the population. And Donald Trump’s statements were seen from the island, at the same time, as a threat and as an opportunity: a threat because it could pass from Danish to American hands and an opportunity because the interest of the United States could be translated into better conditions to be able to achieve independence in better conditions. In fact, the new statute that has governed the island since 2009 provides for the right of self-determination.
Independence
Yesterday Egede did not want to speculate on a possible date for a possible departure from Denmark. There are some parliamentarians who predict it within ten years, but the majority see that date as very hasty. To be independent, Greenland, four times the size of Spain, inhabited by 57,000 people (half of those who live in the province of Soria), would have to develop economically. Today, the approximately 600 million euros that Denmark sends annually to the island are essential to maintaining the island’s standard of living (and its health and education system).
The Greenlandic Prime Minister assured that Greenland is seeing ways to strengthen ties on defense and mining issues, but always on its own terms. When asked about the possibilities of the United States, which already has a military base in the north of the island, expanding its defense resources, the prime minister responded: “Greenland’s independence is our issue and it will be Greenland that decides.” to do”.
Greenland, 80% covered in ice and which climate change is affecting in leaps and bounds, has great material resources: oil, gas, gold and rare minerals necessary to build electric car batteries or wind turbines. But they have not yet been exploited. Currently, the island’s main source of income is fishing, which constitutes 95% of exports.
