NUUK, Greenland (AP) 鈥� declared Wednesday that 鈥淕reenland is ours鈥� and cannot be taken or bought in defiance of a message from , who said his administration supported 鈥� but added that the United States will acquire the territory 鈥渙ne way or another.鈥�
Greenlandic Prime Minister M煤te Bourup Egede said the island鈥檚 citizens are not American nor Danish because they are Greenlandic. The United States needs to understand that, he wrote in a post in Greenlandic and Danish on Facebook Wednesday.
The future of Greenland will be decided by its people, he wrote.
His post came hours after Trump made a direct appeal to Greenlanders in a speech to Congress on Tuesday, a week before islanders head to the polls for parliamentary elections.
鈥淲e strongly support your right to determine your own future, and if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America," Trump said.
鈥淲e will keep you safe. We will make you rich. And together we will take Greenland to heights like you have never thought possible before," he added.
But Trump also said his administration was 鈥渨orking with everybody involved to try to get it,鈥� referring to his wishes to from Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally.
鈥淲e need it really for international world security. And I think we鈥檙e going to get it. One way or the other, we鈥檙e going to get it,鈥� Trump said.
Many in Greenland, a that is a , are worried and offended by of homeland.
Asked about Trump's comments, Denmark's foreign minister said Wednesday he did not think Greenlanders wanted to separate from Denmark in order to instead become 鈥渁n integrated part of America.鈥�
Lars L酶kke Rasmussen sought to strike an optimistic tone, saying he believed that Trump's reference to respecting Greenlanders' right to self-determination was 鈥渢he most important part of that speech.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 very optimistic about what will be a Greenlandic decision about this. They want to loosen their ties to Denmark, we鈥檙e working on that, to have a more equal relationship,鈥� the minister said during
L酶kke added that it was important that next week鈥檚 parliamentary elections are free and fair 鈥渨ithout any kind of international intervention.鈥�
Greenlanders will head to the polls Tuesday. Trump's recent comments about taking over the island have ignited unprecedented interest in full independence from Denmark, which has become a key issue during campaign season.
The Associated Press
