Greenland independence is feasible however becoming a member of the US unlikely, Denmark says

By Stine Jacobsen and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Greenland could grow to be impartial if its residents need, however is unlikely to grow to be a U.S. state, Denmark’s overseas minister mentioned on Wednesday after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump refused to rule out pressure to take management of the Arctic island.

Greenland’s chief met with the Danish king in Copenhagen on Wednesday, a day after Trump’s remarks thrust the destiny of the mineral-rich and strategically necessary island, which is underneath Danish rule, to the highest of world headlines.

Trump, who takes workplace on Jan. 20, mentioned on Tuesday he wouldn’t rule out utilizing navy or financial motion to make Greenland a part of the USA. The identical day, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., made a personal go to to Greenland.

Greenland, a part of NATO by way of the membership of Denmark, has strategic significance for the U.S. navy and for its ballistic missile early-warning system because the shortest route from Europe to North America runs by way of the Arctic island.

The president-elect has indicated he would pursue a extra combative overseas coverage that disregards conventional diplomatic formalities.

Greenland, the world’s largest island, has been a part of Denmark for 600 years though its 57,000 folks now govern their very own home affairs. The island’s authorities led by Prime Minister Mute Egede goals for eventual independence.

“We totally recognise that Greenland has its personal ambitions. In the event that they materialise, Greenland will grow to be impartial, although hardly with an ambition to grow to be a federal state in the USA,” Danish overseas minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen mentioned.

He advised reporters the USA’ heightened safety considerations within the Arctic have been official following elevated Russian and Chinese language exercise within the area.

“I do not suppose that we’re in a overseas coverage disaster,” he mentioned. “We’re open to a dialogue with the People on how we will presumably cooperate much more carefully than we do to make sure that the American ambitions are fulfilled.”

Nonetheless, though Denmark itself performed down the seriousness of Trump’s risk to its territory, the returning president’s overtly acknowledged ambition to increase U.S. borders has jolted European allies lower than two weeks earlier than he takes workplace.

France’s overseas minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, mentioned Europe wouldn’t let different nations assault its sovereign borders, though he didn’t imagine the U.S. would invade.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed shock at Trump’s feedback about Greenland and Canada, underlining that European companions unanimously uphold the inviolability of borders.

STRAINED RELATIONS

Greenland’s relations with Denmark have these days been strained by allegations of mistreatment of Greenlanders. Egede has mentioned the island will not be on the market, whereas in his New Yr speech he stepped up his push for independence. Denmark says the territory’s destiny will be determined solely by Greenlanders.

Greenland’s Finance Minister Erik Jensen repeated that Greenland will not be on the market. “Our want is to grow to be impartial someday. However our ambition is to not go from being ruled by one nation to a different.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen mentioned on Tuesday she couldn’t think about Trump’s ambitions would result in U.S. navy intervention in Greenland. Denmark’s navy capabilities there are restricted to 4 inspection vessels, a Challenger surveillance airplane and canine sled patrols.

Responding to Trump’s risk of tariffs in opposition to Denmark, which in line with analysts at Danske Financial institution (CSE:DANSKE) might doubtlessly be “fairly dangerous to Danish corporations, Frederiksen mentioned she didn’t suppose a commerce warfare with the USA was a great way ahead.

Denmark is dwelling to Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO), Europe’s most respected firm, which makes weight-loss drug Wegovy that has grow to be vastly in style in the USA, the Nordic nation’s largest buying and selling accomplice.

The Danish royal palace gave no particulars of King Frederik’s assembly with Greenland’s Egede.

Whereas many Greenlanders dream of independence from Denmark, the king stays in style on the island, having spent prolonged intervals there, together with a four-month expedition on the ice sheet. Final month, the royal court docket modified its coat of arms, enlarging a polar bear that symbolises Greenland.

“He is in style in Greenland. So he can clearly be useful to the Danish-Greenlandic relationship,” Damien Degeorges, a Reykjavik-based marketing consultant specialising in Greenland, advised Reuters.

Trump already raised the problem of the U.S. taking up Greenland throughout his first presidency, however his newest remarks nonetheless left many Danes baffled.

“I discover it extraordinarily ridiculous,” mentioned Jeppe Finne Sorenson, an information engineer within the Danish capital. “We’ve an alliance, we’re allies. So this does not actually respect that.”

($1 = 7.2417 Danish crowns)