Outgoing Prime Minister Mute Egede demands an end to the ‘disrespect’ towards Greenland as the US President reiterates his interest in the Arctic island.
The outgoing Prime Minister of Greenland, Mute Egede, has urged local politicians to firmly oppose US President Donald Trump’s proposal to claim the strategically significant island, asserting that “enough is enough.”
“We need to escalate our rejection of Trump’s stance. This continuous disrespect must end,” Egede stated on Facebook following Trump’s remarks on Thursday, where he expressed again his desire to annex the self-governing Danish territory.
“The American president has brought up the idea of annexation once more. I cannot tolerate this,” he continued.
“I have therefore requested the administration to convene the heads of the political parties as soon as possible,” Egede, who remains in charge of Greenland as he awaits the establishment of a new government after his party’s defeat in the elections on Tuesday, said.
During an earlier event at the White House alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Trump reiterated his desire to annex Greenland—home to 57,000 residents—claiming: “I believe it will happen.”
“You see, Mark, we need this for international security, not just our own but international security; we have several of our key players operating near the coast, and we must exercise caution,” Trump remarked to Rutte while they spoke in the White House Oval Office.
In response, Rutte indicated that he would leave the issue of Greenland’s future to others, stating, “I don’t want to involve NATO” in the conversation. He emphasized that this matter should be addressed by the countries in the “high north,” given that China and Russia are utilizing water routes in the Arctic region.
Nevertheless, Trump persisted, claiming that Denmark has declined to engage in discussions regarding Greenland and mentioned the possibility of deploying more US troops to reinforce military bases on the island.
During his prior term as US President from 2017-2021, Trump proposed the idea of purchasing Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark—a notion that was categorically dismissed by Denmark and Greenland.
“We’ve been in talks with Denmark and Greenland, and we must proceed with this,” Trump added.
“We truly require it for national security reasons. That’s why NATO might need to be involved in a significant way because we need Greenland for our national security. It’s crucial,” he noted.
Trump then proceeded to challenge Denmark’s claim over the island. “You know, Denmark is quite distant and has minimal involvement. What happened, a ship arrived there two centuries ago or so? And they claim rights based on that? I’m not sure that’s valid. I don’t believe it is,” he commented.
Rutte chose not to address the issue when questioned by a reporter at the White House. NATO and the Danish embassy in Washington did not provide an immediate response to requests for comments.
Danish politician Rasmus Jarlov took to social media post-Trump’s meeting with Rutte, expressing that Denmark did “not appreciate” the NATO chief “making light about Greenland with Trump.”
“It would mean war between two NATO nations,” Jarlov asserted.
“Greenland has recently voted against immediate independence from Denmark and has no desire to become American,” he remarked.
We do not appreciate the Sec. Gen. of NATO joking with Trump about Greenland like this. It would mean war between two NATO countries. Greenland has just voted against immediate independence from Denmark and does not want to be American ever.pic.twitter.com/eh7enEHoA8
— Rasmus Jarlov (@RasmusJarlov) March 13, 2025
Since resuming his presidency, Trump has made the annexation of Greenland a prominent discussion point, and his comments on Thursday suggest he may seek NATO’s involvement in his agenda to lay claim to the territory.
Greenland’s strategic position and abundant mineral resources hold significant potential for the US. It lies along the shortest path connecting Europe and North America and is critical for the US’s ballistic missile warning infrastructure.
Polls indicate that a majority of Greenlanders favor independence from Denmark and reject the idea of being annexed by the US.
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