Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede said he’s ready for a dialogue with President-elect Donald Trump, who wants America to gain control of the world’s largest noncontinental island.
Mr. Egede said during a press conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Friday that while he hasn’t spoken with Mr. Trump, the Greenlandic leader was open to “discussions about what unites us.”
“We are ready to talk,” he said. “Cooperation is about dialogue. Cooperation means that you will work toward solutions.”
His remarks came opposite Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, whose country had held Greenland as a colony since the 1700s. The island, home to 57,000 people, won the right to secure independence from Denmark, if voters choose to do so, in 2009.
Mr. Trump expressed interest in Greenland during his first term as president and has rekindled that interest ahead of his inauguration on Jan. 20.
The president-elect argued that incorporating Greenland into America, similar to his wishes to control the Panama Canal, would better position the U.S. against Russia and China. His son Don Jr. flew to Greenland on a private trip this week and was greeted by many pro-MAGA Greenlanders.
Ms. Frederiksen said she wants to meet with Mr. Trump but doesn’t expect to get together until after the inauguration.
The Danish government is trying to convince Mr. Trump that his concerns about Chinese and Russian ships nearby could be addressed without taking over the island, either by increasing security or boosting America’s military footprint, Axios reported. The U.S. already has Pituffik Space Base in northwest Greenland.
Mr. Egede supports that push for independence and warned that while he’s open for discussions with Mr. Trump, Greenlanders prefer to fly their own flag.
“We have a desire for independence, a desire to be the master of our own house. … This is something everyone should respect,” Mr. Egede said. “Greenland is for the Greenlandic people. We do not want to be Danish, we do not want to be American. We want to be Greenlandic.”
• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.