Only 0.0001% in Greenland want to be part of US: Ex-FM
3 Min Read
Greenland's former foreign minister reveals that 75% of the population supports gaining independence from Denmark, amidst Trump's calls for the US to take control of Greenland.
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Donald Trump Jr arrives in Nuuk, Greenland on 7 January 2025 aboard a private jet as his father as president-elect talks about the US need to acquire Greenland. (Emil Stach via AFP/Getty Images)
Only 0.0001% of Greenland's population is interested in joining the United States. Meanwhile, 75% of people are in favor of gaining independence from Denmark, according to Pele Broberg, the leader of Greenland's largest opposition party, Naleraq, and its former foreign minister, told RIA Novosti.
"Only 0.0001% of the population. 75% support independence and only a small minority are in favor of becoming US citizens", Broberg said.
US President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office on January 20, has stated that it is an "absolute necessity" for the United States to take over Greenland. In contrast, Greenland's Prime Minister, Mute Egede, emphasized that the island is not available for sale.
Notably, on January 7, Donald Trump Jr., the son of the president-elect, visited Greenland. Following the visit, Trump confirmed on Truth Social that his son and his team had traveled to the island, noting that "the reception was great."
The president-elect posted a video in which people wearing baseball caps that read "Make America Great Again" responded in the affirmative when asked if they wanted Trump to buy Greenland.
'Denmark threatens Greenland to drop independence claims'
The official also told RIA Novosti that Denmark has for years threatened Greenland's independence.
"Every time we talk about independence, they [the Danes] threaten us. They say, 'If you do this, you will never come to Denmark again; you will have no education, etc.' We always hear threats when we talk about independence," Broberg said.
For instance, he mentioned that when his party campaigned for parliamentary seats in 2018 and proposed the idea of independence, the Danish prime minister responded to the national media, calling it unrealistic.
"Even to this day, Danish politicians say, 'No, no, we will never do anything like that [give Greenland independence].'" They don't even seem to respect the self-government law as far as independence is concerned. But we have a problem in that there are political parties that are publicly in favor of independence without any plans but don't really want it," the lawmaker said.
Broberg also added that Naleraq has a clear plan to separate from the Kingdom of Denmark. If the party wins the 2025 parliamentary elections, it intends to call for an independence referendum on the same day.
"It may take two days, it may take two months, it may take two years. The plans we have developed are based on how we left the EU in the 80s. We voted in 1982, and we left in 1985. Brexit also took three years, and that is why we keep saying that the discussion is about three years. The most important thing for us is to start the process itself," the ex-minister added.
