Today, Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. In recent weeks, he has put the international spotlight on Greenland and once again expressed a desire to buy the island.
He has even expressed that he does not rule out putting economic and military pressure on Denmark to get his way. The latter has caused the Danish government to call several crisis meetings.
On Friday night, Greenland’s head of government, Múte B Egede, appeared on Fox News and put mineral extraction, security and cooperation on the agenda.
– Your safety is our safety, so strong cooperation between our countries is very important.
Host Bret Baier raised the issue of potentially expanding Pituffik Space Base, a 1951 US military base located in Northwest Greenland. Múte B Egede chose not to answer the question.
– We are open to discussing how we can protect our country, your country, all countries in the Arctic, North America and the entire Western alliance.
Wants to invest in mineral extraction
Mineral extraction is one of the sectors that Greenland wants to invest heavily in going forward, but the companies that have applied for a license have been rejected citing the 2021 Uranium Act – a law that bans the extraction of radioactive uranium. But Múte B Egede took the opportunity to welcome stakeholders.
– We need investments to strengthen our economy and diversify it, both from the US and the EU.
The mining industry is also at the center of the issue of the island’s independence. The head of government has hinted that a referendum on autonomy will take place in 2025, something that puts pressure on the economy. Egede opened the door for the United States.
– We have a lot to offer and we are ready for the USA to come and invest in our minerals.
“We don’t want to be Americans”
The USA’s interest in the island is nothing new and already in the 1940s the idea of buying the island from Denmark was raised by American President Harry S Truman. Seven times during the seven-minute interview with Fox News, Múte B Egede emphasized that the Greenlanders do not want to be Americans.
– We want to be clear, we don’t want to be Americans, but we want strong cooperation, he says.
This week, SVT Sápmi will visit Greenland to report on developments there and the challenges facing the indigenous people, as the world battles over Greenlandic minerals.