Greenland PM Egede gives 'green light' to Trump
Greenland Prime Minister Mute Bourup Egede stated that he has not spoken with US President-elect Donald Trump but is "open" to doing so.
AA
Speaking at a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Egede made remarks regarding Trump's rhetoric toward his country.
Stating that he is aware his country is seen by Americans as "part of their own world," Egede said, "Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland. We do not want to be Danish or American. We want to be Greenlandic."
On the other hand, Egede noted that he has not spoken with Trump, but expressed that he is ready to meet with him regarding "unifying elements."
Egede said, "Cooperation is linked to dialogue and means working toward a solution."
TRUMP'S GREENLAND REMARKS
Trump, who is preparing to take office in the US, reiterated his rhetoric on December 23, 2024, in a post on his Truth Social account, arguing that it is an "absolute necessity" to have ownership and control of the island, maintaining that Greenland should be under his country's control.
Trump's words drew reactions from many quarters, especially from Greenlandic officials.
In a written statement to an AA reporter, Prime Minister Egede had said, "Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland. We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We will not lose our long-standing struggle for freedom."
IMPLIED HE COULD USE MILITARY
On January 8, when asked if he could commit to not using military force to control the Panama Canal and Greenland, Trump replied, "No, I cannot give you assurances (that I will not use military force) regarding those two. Maybe we might need to do something. We need them for our economic security."
Arguing that the Panama Canal was built for the US military but is operated by China today, Trump stated, "The Panama Canal is vital to our country. We gave the Panama Canal to Panama, but today it is operated by China. We did not give it to China."
Panama President Jose Raul Mulino stated, "The sovereignty of our canal is non-negotiable. The only power that controls the canal is Panama, and it will continue to be so."
Panama's Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha also stated that the Panama Canal is part of his country's struggle for full sovereignty, assessing that "The Panama Canal is an irreversible conquest."