Greenlanders have overwhelmingly said on previous occasions that they do not want to become a part of the US and instead that they favour becoming an independent nation
Donald Trump has been issued a brutal warning by Greenland’s leaders amid fears an invasion could be ordered.
Greenland’s prime minister shared a blunt message with the US President after the Republican leader said he would gain control of the territory “one way or another”. Taking to Facebook on Wednesday, just hours made the declaration during his State of the Union address to Congress, Mute Bourup Egede told Mr Trump: “Greenland is ours.”
He said: “Kalaallit Nunaat is ours.” The post using the Greenlandic name for the territory continued: “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. Our future will be decided by us in Greenland.”
The post ended with a clenched fist emoji and a Greenlandic flag. On the streets of the Greenlandic capital Nuuk, where the temperatures were -20C, people took Mr Trump’s threat seriously. Since Mr Trump entered the White House he has made multiple threats to take Greenland.
Lisa Aardestrup, 18, told the Associated Press that becoming a part of the US would damage Greenland’s environment as well as the fishing industry which amounts to about 90 per cent of the country’s exports.
“We feel like it’s a bad idea, and we just more want to be like our little island that’s more independent than anything else,” she said. While most opinion polls have shown a majority of Greenlanders do not want to become a part of the US, others disagree.
Yulao Sandkreen was more positive about Mr Trump’s sales pitch for the territory. He said: “We need McDonald’s. We need everything.”
The territory is currently a self-governing region within the Kingdom of Denmark and an independence movement has continued to gain support since it was given more autonomy. There are about 56,000 people who live on the island that lies off the north-eastern coast of Canada and is closer to Washington DC than it is to Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital.
“We strongly support your right to determine your own future, and if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America,” Trump said. “”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.”
But Mr Trump’s message to Greenlanders came with imperialistic undertones when he said the US would obtain the territory “one way or another.” Mr Trump has made aggressive statements about taking control of overseas territories, such as the Gaza Strip.
He previously suggested moving Palestinians out of the area and turning it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” Mr Trump also announced regaining control of the Panama Canal, a lucrative shipping lane that was transferred to Panama during the administration of Jimmy Carter during the 70s.
Many of his threats have been issued under the guise of promoting America’s defence capabilities. His comments about Greenland were no different. He said: “We need it really for international world security. And I think we’re going to get it. One way or the other, we’re going to get it.”
