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Greenland’s parliament is accelerating plans to hold a session to address US threats over the Arctic island, according to a joint statement from leaders of the territory’s five political parties.
The move comes after President Donald Trump declared that the United States should take control of Greenland, an autonomous region within the Kingdom of Denmark, citing concerns that Russia or China could gain influence over the strategically important, resource-rich territory in the future.
In their statement late Friday, posted on social media by Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the party leaders called on the U.S. to end what they described as “contempt” for Greenland. “We do not want to be Americans, we do not want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders,” the statement read.
To ensure a thorough political debate and safeguard the rights of Greenland’s citizens, the Inatsisartut — Greenland’s parliament — will convene earlier than originally planned, the leaders said. The exact date for the session has not yet been announced. According to the parliament’s website, its last meeting was in November, with the next scheduled for February 3.
Trump's renewed push for Greenland
Trump said on Friday he would ”do something on Greenland whether they like it or not” and that the U.S. military presence in the island under a 1951 agreement with fellow NATO member Denmark is not enough to guarantee the island’s defence.
Trump’s renewed push for Greenland, after U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, worries many of the island’s 57,000 inhabitants, whose widely held goal is to eventually become an independent nation.
A 2009 agreement between Greenland and Denmark explicitly recognised Greenlanders’ right to independence if they choose, but while all five parties say they want independence, they differ on how and when to achieve it.
”We must decide the future of our country ourselves, without pressure for a quick decision, delay or interference from other countries,” the party leaders said, adding that they sought dialogue based on diplomacy and international principles.
With inputs from agencies
