All five political parties in Greenland’s parliament released a rare unified statement last night, firmly rejecting US President Donald Trump’s threats to seize control of the Arctic island, reports RTE.
“We will not be Americans, we will not be Danes, we are Greenlanders,” the leaders declared in the statement, reports RTE.
The five party leaders, including Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen, expressed that they “strongly oppose” any attempt by the US to take over Greenland and described recent American remarks as “extremely disrespectful”, reports RTE.
“No other country can meddle in this. We must decide our country’s future ourselves – without pressure to make a hasty decision, without procrastination, and without interference from other countries,” they said.
This rare show of unity is especially notable because it includes Pele Broberg, leader of the opposition party Naleraq, who has previously been the most receptive to stronger relations with Washington.
Just days earlier, Mr Broberg had advocated for Greenland to negotiate directly with the US while bypassing Denmark, reports RTE.
The joint statement stresses that Greenland’s future “must be decided by the Greenlandic people themselves” and demands respect for “international law and the right to self-determination”.
TheLiberal.ie won’t quit
Please support us with a small donation on PayPal!
A 2009 agreement between Greenland and Denmark formally acknowledged the Greenlanders’ right to pursue independence if they so choose, although the five parties all support independence but disagree on the timing and process.
“We must decide the future of our country ourselves, without pressure for a quick decision, delay or interference from other countries,” the party leaders said, adding that they sought dialogue based on diplomacy and international principles, reports RTE.
Mr Trump declared he would “do something on Greenland whether they like it or not” and argued that the current US military presence on the island, established under a 1951 agreement with NATO ally Denmark, falls short of adequately protecting it.
“I would like to make a deal, you know, the easy way. But if we don’t do it the easy way, we’re going to do it the hard way,” Mr Trump said.
His renewed interest in acquiring Greenland, coming after US military action in Venezuela, has raised deep concerns among the island’s roughly 57,000 residents, most of whom aspire to eventual full independence, reports RTE.
In an interview with the New York Times, Mr Trump stated that US ownership of Greenland was “psychologically needed for success”.
He declined to exclude the possibility of using military force.
Mr Trump argued that the US must own the territory to stop Russia or China from taking it over, insisting that current military arrangements are inadequate and that complete ownership is essential for the island’s security, reports RTE.
The Greenlandic leaders emphasised that any dialogue with other nations must rest on “mutual respect” and advocated for “equality and partnership”, cautioning that “no countries, big or small, can change” Greenland’s right to shape its own destiny.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
