We continue with the next chapter in the saga of President Donald Trump’s quest for a new relationship with Greenland.
To recap events since Trump’s win on November 5th, he tasked his pick for Ambassador to Denmark with persuading the Danes to sell The United States the resource-rich Arctic land.
Then Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte Egede called for independence from Denmark, marking a significant shift in the rhetoric surrounding the Arctic island’s future.
Trump’s son later made an “unofficial” visit to Greenland, which was then followed by Egede appearing at a joint press conference alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, during which he said that he’s ready to speak with Trump as ‘the status quo is no longer an option.’
Frederiksen later had a 45-minute call with Trump, asserting that Greenland should determine its independence while it dawned on her that Trump was very serious about his plans to make a deal. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also stressed the US was earnest in partnering with Greenland for both strategic and economic reasons.
Even the dire threat of French troops is not deterring Trump.
Which brings us to today’s chapter. Greenland is now set to hold a general election on March 11, 2025, where independence has become the key issue, allowing them to make their own partnerships devoid of European elite anti-Trump sentiments.
The ruling Siumut party and its coalition partner, the Green Community of the People party, both favor independence.
Greenland’s ruling Siumut party plans to hold a vote on independence following a general election next month, it said on Thursday, an issue made urgent by U.S. President Donald Trump’s expressed interest in acquiring the island.The semi-autonomous territory under the Kingdom of Denmark, on Wednesday called a general election to be held on March 11.Leading issues in the election campaign include Greenland’s aspirations to be independent and its relationship with Denmark and the United States under Trump who has repeatedly expressed a desire to “get” the strategically significant island…..Siumut, a partner in Greenland’s two-party government coalition, plans to invoke an article in a 2009 law that granted Greenland increased autonomy, including the right to negotiate full independence, the party’s political spokesperson Doris Jensen told Reuters on Thursday.She said Greenland needed to be independent from Denmark to be able to negotiate its future.”Until our country achieves the status of an independent state, our opportunities to officially participate in negotiations will be limited,” she said.
Once independent, Greenlanders may be able to select from an array of alliance and partnership options, including a Compact of Free Association.
In fact, one of the Greenlander political parties explicitly cited the CoFA option in its plans to push for independence.
“Trump’s statements and the new line from the US administration have definitely given the independence movement here more momentum,” Juno Bertelsen, a candidate in the March 11 election for the Naleraq party, told Reuters.Naleraq would seek a defense agreement with the United States and a so-called “free association” with Denmark or another country, possibly the United States, in the event of independence, Bertelsen said.Naleraq, Greenland’s most active pro-independence party, seeks to exploit a provision in a 2009 law that granted the territory greater autonomy, including the right to negotiate full independence.If this is approved, negotiations with Denmark will begin, although any agreement will require the approval of the Danish parliament and a referendum in Greenland.
To conclude a piece on a humorous note, events appear to be proceeding according to a Golden Girls prophecy.
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