Greenland’s Prime Minister, Mute Egede on Monday said President Donald Trump of the United States has not treated Greenlanders with respect since expressing his renewed interest in acquiring the vast, mineral-rich Arctic island.
Media Talk Africa recalls that Trump reiterated his interest in acquiring the island during his address to Congress last Tuesday, painting a picture of prosperity and safety for the people of Greenland, an autonomous territory of the kingdom of Denmark.
In a post on his Truth Social early Monday, Trump said the US would continue to keep the Greenlanders safe, as they have been since World War II.
“We are ready to invest billions of dollars to create new jobs and make you rich,” he said.
Responding on Monday, Egede said the citizens of Greenland deserve to be treated with respect, adding that he did not think the US president has done that recently since he took office.
“I think that the recent things the American president has been doing means that people don’t want to get as close to (the U.S.) as they might have wanted in the past,” Egede said.
The prime minister has repeatedly said that Greenland, whose population is only 57,000, belongs to its people and that it should decide on its own future. He supports full independence for Greenland.
Media Talk Africa reports that the island, whose capital Nuuk is closer to New York than the Danish capital Copenhagen, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth, but development has been slow and its economy remains heavily reliant for now on fishing as well as annual subsidies from Denmark.
