Greenland's national debate about independence will consider negotiating better terms in its relationship with Denmark and securing more significant investment from the EU.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00The revival of U.S. President Donald Trump's demand to acquire Greenland has cast a light
00:06on long-standing difficult relations between Copenhagen and Nuuk, as well as reignited
00:12calls for independence.
00:14It's also laid bare the country's importance as a semi-autonomous Danish state loaded with
00:19critical minerals, a highly lucrative fishing industry, and a vital Arctic location.
00:25Melina Abelson is chair of Greenland's largest company, Royal Greenland.
00:29It's a state-owned fishing company representing over 95% of Greenland's exports.
00:35She says Greenland will work with other countries based on equal footing.
00:39I think the Greenlanders are also very worried.
00:42The news poll just came out that also said that no one really wants to be bought by the
00:47U.S.
00:48I mean, the whole abrupt way of coming forward and saying that I want to buy Greenland, it's
00:53like we're not for sale, we're not playing Monopoly here in this world.
00:56Actually, we are a people living in here, living in Greenland.
01:00So I think the whole way of talking about that is just not the way we would like to
01:06talk with an allied partner.
01:09Elections are due to take place in April, where the future of Greenland as an independent
01:13state will no doubt take center stage.
01:15However, what's not clear is exactly what independence means and whether the EU is to
01:20be invited to play a significant role in Greenland's future.
01:24A delegation from the Renew Group in the European Parliament met with members of the
01:28government as well as private and public industries and academics.
01:32They say Europe will stand by Greenland and respect its citizens' future aspirations.
01:37I do understand the desire to have more autonomy, but I also want to make clear that even Denmark,
01:47even France, even Germany, no country nowadays can really talk about, you know, we can do
01:53everything on our own.
01:54We need to stick together.
01:55I wouldn't say that Denmark has been letting Greenland down, but probably we have not paid
02:00enough attention and at least I do recognize the fact that, you know, being more eye to
02:06eye in the way that we talk together, I do think there's something there to be worked
02:11on.
02:12Both the government here in Greenland and the EU are treading carefully when it comes
02:16to Trump's demands.
02:17They realize that America's overtures to resource-rich Greenland is spurring on the independence
02:22movement.
02:23Moreover, they're deeply concerned that an ally is threatening to take over territory.
02:29Shona Murray, Euronews, Nuuk, Greenland.