An opinion poll conducted by Verian and reported by Danish daily Berlingske on Tuesday has found that 85 percent of Greenlanders oppose their Arctic island becoming part of the United States. The survey revealed that only six percent of respondents favor this move, while nine percent remain undecided.
Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump emphasized Greenland's strategic importance to U.S. security and urged Denmark to cede control of the island. Trump has since reiterated calls for Washington to acquire Greenland and has not ruled out the use of military force to achieve this end.
In response to these developments, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced on Monday that Denmark will allocate approximately $2.04 billion (14.6 billion crowns) to enhance its military presence in the Arctic. Frederiksen visited Paris, Berlin, and NATO headquarters on Tuesday, meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte to garner support against Trump's overtures.
Greenland's Prime Minister, Mute Egede, who is actively pursuing the island's independence, has firmly stated that Greenland is not for sale and that the decision rests with its residents. Egede expressed a desire to engage in calm dialogue with Trump, emphasizing the importance of maintaining composure amidst growing concerns.
Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark with a land area larger than Mexico and a population of 57,000, has had broad self-governing autonomy since 2009. This includes the provision for declaring independence from Denmark through a referendum. The U.S. maintains a permanent military presence at the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, which serves as a strategic location for its ballistic missile early-warning system and as the shortest route from Europe to North America.
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Poll: 85% of Greenlanders do not want to be part of the U.S.
cgtn.com
