Greenland's leader says the island 'is ours' in defiance of message from Trump

NUUK, Greenland (AP) — Greenland's premier minister declared Wednesday that “Greenland is ours” and cannot beryllium taken oregon bought successful defiance of a connection from U.S. President Donald Trump, who said his medication supported the Arctic island’s close of self-determination — but added that the United States volition get the territory “one mode oregon another.”

Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede said the island’s citizens are not American nor Danish due to the fact that they are Greenlandic. The United States needs to recognize that, helium wrote successful a station successful Greenlandic and Danish connected Facebook Wednesday.

The aboriginal of Greenland volition beryllium decided by its people, helium wrote.

His station came hours aft Trump made a nonstop entreaty to Greenlanders successful a code to Congress connected Tuesday, a week earlier islanders caput to the polls for parliamentary elections.

“We powerfully enactment your close to find your ain future, and if you choose, we invited you into the United States of America," Trump said.

“We volition support you safe. We volition marque you rich. And unneurotic we volition instrumentality Greenland to heights similar you person ne'er thought imaginable before," helium added.

But Trump besides said his medication was “working with everybody progressive to effort to get it,” referring to his wishes to acquire Greenland from Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally.

“We request it truly for planetary satellite security. And I deliberation we’re going to get it. One mode oregon the other, we’re going to get it,” Trump said.

Many successful Greenland, a vast and mineral-rich island that is simply a semiautonomous territory of Denmark, are disquieted and offended by Trump’s threats to prehend control of homeland.

Asked astir Trump's comments, Denmark's overseas curate said Wednesday helium did not deliberation Greenlanders wanted to abstracted from Denmark successful bid to alternatively go “an integrated portion of America.”

Lars Løkke Rasmussen sought to onslaught an optimistic tone, saying helium believed that Trump's notation to respecting Greenlanders' close to self-determination was “the astir important portion of that speech.”

“I’m precise optimistic astir what volition beryllium a Greenlandic determination astir this. They privation to loosen their ties to Denmark, we’re moving connected that, to person a much adjacent relationship,” the curate said during a travel to Finland.

Løkke added that it was important that adjacent week’s parliamentary elections are escaped and just “without immoderate benignant of planetary intervention.”

Greenlanders volition caput to the polls Tuesday. Trump's caller comments astir taking implicit the land person ignited unprecedented involvement successful afloat independency from Denmark, which has go a cardinal contented during run season.