Greenland wants to work more closely with the United States in the areas of defense and the exploration of its mineral resources, its Prime Minister said on Monday.
The silent Egede said his government was looking for ways to work with President-elect Donald Trump, who in recent weeks has shown renewed interest in taking control of the territory – without exclude the use of military or economic force to do so.
Also on Monday, Denmark’s foreign minister said he was ready to work with Greenland to “continue negotiations” with Trump “to secure legitimate US interests” in the Arctic.
Greenland, a largely self-governing Danish territory, lies on the shortest route between North America and Europe, making it strategically important to the United States.
It is also home to a major U.S. space facility and has some of the largest deposits of rare earth minerals, essential for manufacturing batteries and high-tech devices.
Trump attempted to purchase Greenland during his first term in 2019 and put the issue back on his agenda heading into his second term, calling it an “absolute necessity” for U.S. and international security.
Prime Minister Egede previously said Greenland was not and would not be “for sale”, while emphasizing the importance of remaining open to “cooperation and trade with the whole world”.
On Monday, he told a news conference in Copenhagen that his government was ready to begin a dialogue with the new Trump administration.
But he added that the territory’s land use was “Greenland’s business.”
“It is… Greenland that will decide what agreement we should reach.”
Meanwhile, the Danish foreign minister also spoke about Trump’s renewed interest in Greenland during a press conference in Jerusalem.
“I don’t want to conflict with the new President Trump,” said Lars Lokke Rasmussen.
“He has a specific way of phrasing his demands, and what we are doing now is entering into a deeper dialogue with the new president.”
“We agree that the Americans have some concerns about the security situation in the Arctic, which we share,” he said.
Rasmussen said Denmark, in close cooperation with Greenland, was ready to continue negotiations with Trump to secure “legitimate US interests.”
Trump also expressed his desire to acquire the Panama Canal and pledged to use “economic force” to absorb Canada into the United States.
