Future Timeline

COPENHAGEN, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede emphasised his desire to pursue independence from Denmark, its former colonial ruler, during his New Year speech, marking a significant change in the rhetoric surrounding the Arctic island's future.

Egede's speech, which comes on the heels of comments by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump expressing his wish for "ownership and control" of Greenland, also expressed a desire to strengthen Greenland's cooperation with other countries.

"It is about time that we ourselves take a step and shape our future, also with regard to who we will cooperate closely with, and who our trading partners will be," he said.

An independence movement has gained traction in Greenland in recent years in part due to revelations of misconduct by Danish authorities during the 20th century, including an involuntary birth control campaign launched in the 1960s.

weatheriscool wrote: ↑Sun Jan 12, 2025 11:32 pm

President Trump on Thursday expressed confidence the United States would annex Greenland, even suggesting the head of the NATO alliance could be a key player in facilitating the acquisition. “I think it will happen,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

“And I’m just thinking, I didn’t give it much thought before but I’m sitting with a man that could be very instrumental. You know, Mark, we need that for international security,” Trump said, gesturing to Rutte.

Rutte agreed that Greenland and the Arctic Circle are critical for security reasons, noting that China and Russia have a growing presence in the region. But he said any discussion about Trump’s attempts to acquire Greenland were outside of his purview. “I don’t want to drag NATO in that,” Rutte said. The comments came two days after the center-right Demokraatit party won Greenland’s parliamentary elections. The party favors a slow path toward independence from Denmark.

Trump has for months pushed the idea of the United States acquiring Greenland, which is a territory of fellow NATO member Denmark. The United States has a military base on the island.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the purpose of Vice President JD Vance’s trip to Greenland is to reinforce the idea that the U.S. has to acquire the semi-autonomous Danish territory, warning that Americans will “go as far as we have to go” to get control of the island.

In an interview with Vince Coglianese, Trump said a U.S. delegation was traveling to the territory this week “to let them know that we need Greenland for international safety and security.” “We need it, we have to have it,” Trump said. “It’s a island that from a defensive posture and even offensive posture is something we need, especially with the world the way it is.”

“I hate to put it that way, but we’re gonna have to have it,” he continued. Asked if he thinks the Greenlandic public would be on board with his plans, Trump said he wasn’t sure. “I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t think they’re un-eager, but I think that we have to do it and we have to convince them.”

A recent poll shows the overwhelming majority of the people of Greenland oppose joining the U.S. This is not stopping Trump, who separately told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday that the U.S. “will go as far as we have to go” to get control of Greenland.

The New York Times is reporting that President Donald Trump's administration has crafted a "formal plan" to take control of Greenland — although for the moment the plan does not involve using military force to seize the territory.

Instead, the Times reports that the Trump administration is crafting a propaganda campaign aimed at convincing Greenlanders that it would be in their best interests to join the United States.

"The U.S. messaging campaign will include an unlikely appeal to Greenlanders’ shared heritage with the native Inuit people of Alaska, nearly 2,500 miles away," the Times' sources say. "Greenland’s Inuit population is descended from people who migrated from Alaska hundreds of years ago, and the island’s official language is derived from Inuit dialects that originated in Arctic Canada."

Other ideas being kicked around by the administration include paying $10,000 for every Greenlander should they agree to join the United States. The Times notes that convincing Greenlanders to join the United States will not be an easy task, however, given how incredibly unpopular the idea has proven with the people who are currently living there. A recent poll showed that just 6 percent of Greenlanders approved of the idea while 85 percent said they were opposed.

President Donald Trump refused to rule out using military force to acquire Greenland during an interview Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press, telling anchor Kristen Welker, “We need that very badly.” The exchange took place during a wide-ranging interview on the economy, immigration, and foreign policy.

Welker asked Trump directly, “You and I talked, and I asked you if you would rule out military force to take Greenland. And you said, no, you don’t rule out anything.” Trump shared his thoughts on Greenland and Canada, which he has talked about becoming the 51st state for months:

WELKER: Would you rule out military force to take Canada?

TRUMP: Well, I think we’re not going to ever get to that point. It could happen. Something could happen with Greenland. I’ll be honest, we need that for national and international security.

WELKER: But not with Canada?

TRUMP: It’s highly unlikely. I don’t see it with Canada. I just don’t see it, I have to be honest with you.

WELKER: Okay, but you don’t rule it out for Greenland?



“I don’t rule it out,” Trump said. “I don’t say I’m going to do it, but I don’t rule out anything. No, not there. We need Greenland very badly. Greenland is a very small amount of people, which we’ll take care of, and we’ll cherish them, and all of that. But we need that for international security.” Leaders and citizens in Greenland have expressed no desire to join the US.