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Greenland’s political leaders have united to condemn US President Donald Trump’s repeated desire to take over the Arctic island as “unacceptable”.
The leaders of all five parties in Greenland’s parliament issued an unprecedented joint statement after Trump reiterated his belief that the US will eventually control the geopolitically crucial island of 57,000 people on Thursday in front of the secretary-general of Nato, Mark Rutte.
“We — all party chairmen — cannot accept the repeated statements about the annexation and control of Greenland. As party chairman, we find this behaviour unacceptable towards friends and allies in a defence alliance,” wrote the five leaders, including current Prime Minister Múte Egede and his likely successor Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
Trump’s renewed interest in Greenland dominated parliamentary elections this week on the island in which Nielsen’s Demokraatit won victory by promising independence from Denmark but at a cautious pace.
Pictures of a smiling Rutte sitting beside Trump and occasionally agreeing with him caused annoyance in both Greenland and Denmark, both of whose territories are covered by Nato’s collective defence pledge.
Trump has refused to rule out the use of military action to take control of Greenland and when asked on Thursday about the prospect of annexing the island replied: “I think it will happen.”
“We do not appreciate the secretary-general of Nato joking with Trump about Greenland like this,” said Rasmus Jarlov, head of the Danish parliament’s defence committee. “It would mean war between two Nato countries.”
Greenlanders have long wanted independence from Denmark after a number of scandals such as one involving the forced sterilisation of women over decades.
But residents of the world’s largest, non-continental island are split over the timing of any break with Copenhagen. Rare opinion polls suggest most favour it only when it would not hurt Greenland’s economy.
The five party leaders underscored that only Greenland can speak for itself, and would do so through diplomatic channels.
“We all stand behind this effort and strongly distance ourselves from attempts to create discord. Greenland is a country that we all stand behind,” the joint statement added.
Mette Frederiksen, Denmark’s prime minister, called the Greenlandic leaders’ statement “strong” and added that she wanted “everyone to speak of Greenland with the respect the country deserves”.
In her strongest remarks since Trump renewed his interest in December, she added that Denmark had a “clear expectation that other nations respect our territorial integrity”.
Nielsen, who will be given first chance to form a new government and is favourite to become prime minister, earlier called Trump’s comments “inappropriate” and urged Greenlanders “to stand together”.
Many politicians and business people in Greenland worry that Trump could try to exploit any push towards independence.
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