The Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, reiterated this Wednesday to the president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, that Greenland is not for sale, in the first telephone conversation between the two after the latter’s proposal to acquire that island that is under the sovereignty of Denmark.
“The prime minister referred in the conversation to the statements of the regional president Múte B. Egede that Greenland is not for sale and has stated that it is Greenland itself that decides on its independence,” is indicated in a statement sent by the office of the Danish head of Government.
Frederiksen stressed to Trump the importance of strengthening security in the Arctic and that the Kingdom of Denmark is prepared to take on “even greater responsibility.”
In the conversation, which lasted 45 minutes, he also highlighted that Danish companies contribute to growth and create jobs in the United States and that they and the European Union (EU) have a common interest in boosting trade. Frederiksen and Trump have agreed to continue the dialogue, according to the note.
Trump said last week that did not rule out the use of force or economic sanctions to take over Greenland, statements later qualified by his future vice president, JD Vance.
“We have to negotiate with the United States. We have started a dialogue and begun to explore the possibilities of cooperating with Trump,” Egede said two days ago at a press conference.
Egede mentioned the mining sector as an obvious area of cooperation, considering the rich subsoil of the island, and regarding greater collaboration in defense he simply said that there was a “dialogue” underway without going into details.
The United States has a base in the north of the island, under a broad defense agreement signed with Denmark seven decades ago and that includes the possibility of increasing the US military presence.
This Arctic island, the largest in the world, measuring two million square kilometers (80% covered by ice) and only 56,000 inhabitants have enjoyed a new statute since 2009 that recognizes their right to self-determination.
The majority of parties and the population They defend the separation of Denmarkbut half of the island’s budget depends on annual aid from Copenhagen and attempts to increase income with its mineral and oil wealth have so far failed due to the difficulties and high cost of extraction.
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