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‘We do feel that we have support because NATO is involved, the West is involved,’ Mute Bourup Egede says
Greenland’s right to determine its own future is at stake amid ongoing geopolitical tensions over the semi-autonomous Danish territory, Greenland’s Foreign Minister Mute Bourup Egede said Wednesday.
“We are in a situation where our right to determine our own future is at stake,” Egede said at an exchange of views with members of the European Parliament in Brussels.
He said the situation was weighing heavily on Greenland, affecting not only the government but also the wider population, including children.
“The feeling of insecurity has consequences on the mental health for some of our people,” he said.
His remarks follow ongoing tensions over Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark, after US President Donald Trump recently repeated his desire to acquire the island, calling US control of Greenland a historical and strategic necessity.
“Greenland will always belong to the Greenlandic people, always, and the decisions made for our future will be made by us,” Egede said.
He stressed, however, that Greenland could not isolate itself and needed strong international partners.
“It is a high priority for me to have close dialogue with all EU decision makers,” he said, adding that Greenland needed the EU and its allies “more than ever.”
“We do feel that we have support because NATO is involved, the West is involved at this difficult time that we’ve been living through in Greenland, but also elsewhere in the world. The commitment from NATO in the Arctic has been strengthened,” he added.
Egede said Greenland wants its partnership with the EU to benefit both sides, describing cooperation on critical raw materials as a potential “win-win” arrangement.
“Greenland can help EU to secure its critical mineral supply chain, while it helps Greenland in diversifying its economy,” he said.
He urged European businesses to move quickly to develop opportunities in Greenland, warning that companies from other countries could step in if European firms fail to act.
Asked about the possibility of Greenland joining the EU, Egede said the idea had not been ruled out, but stressed that it would have to be considered in the context of Greenland’s small population and limited governmental structure.
“I’m not rejecting or dismissing” EU membership, he said, but added that the issue could be “somewhat tricky” given Greenland’s existing partnerships and administrative capacity.
