“According to him, the decision on independence should be made by the people of Greenland, but he did not specify the timing of the vote.”, — write: www.unian.ua
According to him, the decision on independence should be made by the people of Greenland, but he did not specify the timing of the vote.
Until 1953, Greenland was a Danish colony, but now it is a self-governing territory of Denmark / photo REUTERSGreenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede has emphasized his desire to achieve independence from Denmark, the former colonial ruler, marking a significant shift in rhetoric surrounding the Arctic island’s future.Egede’s New Year’s speech, which came against the backdrop of US President-elect Donald Trump’s statement that he wanted to “own and control” Greenland, also expressed a desire to strengthen Greenland’s cooperation with other countries, Reuters writes.
“It is time for us to take a step and define our future, including who we will work closely with and who will be our trading partners,” he said.
The independence movement is said to have gained momentum in Greenland in recent years in part due to revelations of 20th-century Danish abuses, including a campaign of forced birth control that began in the 1960s.
Until 1953, Greenland was a Danish colony, but now it is a self-governing territory of Denmark, and in 2009 it received the right to declare independence as a result of a vote. In 2023, the government of Greenland presented the first draft of the constitution. Egede said:
“History and current conditions have shown that our cooperation with the Kingdom of Denmark has not led to the achievement of full equality. It is time for our country to take the next step. Like other countries in the world, we must work to remove obstacles to cooperation – which can be called the shackles of colonialism – and move forward”.
He added that the decision on independence should be made by the people of Greenland, but did not say when the vote might take place.
The situation in GreenlandWhile most of Greenland’s 57,000 residents support independence, there is disagreement over the timing and potential impact on living standards.
Greenland’s government has twice rejected Trump’s offers to buy the island – in 2019 and last year. Geographically, the capital of Greenland, Nuuk, is located closer to New York than the Danish capital, Copenhagen.
Despite its wealth of mineral, oil and gas resources, Greenland’s economy remains fragile, largely dependent on fishing and annual subsidies from Denmark.
The Danish government recently announced a significant increase in Greenland’s defense spending. This decision was made just a few hours after Donald Trump expressed his desire to join the island to the United States.
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