Greenland's PM reminds Washington that citizens are neither "Americans nor Danes"

This year's State of the Union Address drew global attention, not just for its unprecedented length but also for the wide range of issues raised by Donald Trump, including the US' controversial interest in Greenland.

Trump had a separate “message for the people of Greenland” while addressing the House of Representatives and the Senate on March 4, Caliber.Az reports citing American media.

He stated that the US was supporting their "right to determine your own future, and if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America."

The US president's choice of words was friendly at first, but he ended his remarks on Greenland by reaffirming his determination to acquire Greenland, stating, "One way or the other we're going to get it."

He promised, "We will keep you safe, we will make you rich, and together, we will take Greenland to heights like you have never thought possible before." The statement was met with great hostility in Greenland.

According to the RFI, Prime Minister Mute Egede rejected Trump's expansionist ambitions to take control of the sparsely populated island. Egede delivered a firm response on his official Facebook page to the US president, stating "We don't want to be Americans, or Danes either. We are Greenlanders. The Americans and their leader must understand that."

"We are not for sale and can't just be taken. Our future is decided by us in Greenland," he said, nodding to the mineral-rich island's upcoming legislative elections, in which the longstanding question of independence is going to be addressed.

Denmark, which oversees Greenland’s foreign policy, equally firmly rejected Trump’s ambitions, especially as China and Russia expand their presence in the Arctic amid climate change.

Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen dismissed the idea, telling Danish media that "US annexation of Greenland won't happen," stressing that the “direction that Greenland wants to take will be decided by Greenlanders."

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen urged restraint, stating, "I think everyone, including us, should be cautious about having all kinds of opinions about the future" of Greenland. Once unimaginable, US threats to take Greenland highlight Trump’s impatience with European allies.

He again criticized NATO countries for insufficient military spending, embracing a power-driven approach where nations seize what they want. In a related move, Trump celebrated what he called an early victory in reclaiming influence over the Panama Canal.

During the congress speech, he announced the triumph after Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison agreed to sell its Panama port operations to a US-led consortium. 

By Aghakazim Guliyev