Before going to the polls Tuesday in an election that has captured the worldwide highlight, Greenlandic politicians had a transparent message for President Donald Trump: His need to purchase the island for the US will go no additional than a “dream.”
Speaking to Anadolu on election day, native politicians from throughout the spectrum rejected Trump’s persistent imaginative and prescient of taking up the island, insisting that its future is a matter for Greenlanders alone.
Inge Olsvig Brandt, a candidate for the Inuit Ataqatigiit celebration, dismissed Trump’s ambitions outright, saying he ought to give attention to his personal nation.
“Oh my God, yeah, President Trump,” Brandt reacted. “The man who is taking all the rights from his own people and from the indigenous people — he doesn’t belong to Greenland at all,” she stated.
“I think he should be staying in United States and do what he can do to work for his own. They need it. We don’t. We don’t need him here.”
Since the beginning of his second time period in January, Trump has repeatedly expressed curiosity in buying Greenland, claiming it vital to sustaining safety for the US “and even international security.”
Trump’s Greenland ambitions will not be nearly Arctic dominance but in addition the growing accessibility of the island’s pure wealth.
The island — spanning over 2 million sq. kilometers (roughly 800,000 sq. miles) — is wealthy in uncommon minerals essential for high-tech industries, together with nickel, cobalt, and copper, along with its huge oil and fuel potential.
TOO SOON FOR INDEPENDENCE
Voters on the world’s largest island shocked many because the outcomes got here in Wednesday with a surge in assist for opposition events Demokraatit and Naleraq, upending the political establishment beforehand dominated by the ruling coalition of Inuit Ataqatigiit and Siumut.
Amid Trump’s strain, independence was excessive on the political agenda forward of the polls, with all 4 of those events supporting the thought, although they disagree on the timing. While Demokraatit argues for a measured transition, Naleraq is essentially the most aggressively pro-independence.
Brandt additionally weighed in on the prospect of an independence vote to interrupt away from Denmark, saying such a transfer can be untimely.
“We have too many issues to work on. But, of course, independence is an issue that we have been working on for many, many years. But I don’t see an independent Greenland for the next, I don’t know how many years.”
Chita, an Inuit Ataqatigiit secretary overseeing the elections, believes Trump’s remarks mustn’t even be entertained.
“I don’t think we should take him very seriously,” she stated, arguing that the US president’s remarks mustn’t even be a part of the dialog.
“This election is about our future. It’s not about Denmark. It’s not about America … It’s not about Donald Trump,” she stated, expressing her frustration.
The solely factor that issues is “the future of Greenland and the Greenlandic people.”
TRUMP ‘VERY AGGRESSIVE TOWARD GREENLAND’
Lawmaker Bentiaraq Ottosen, who ran once more on the ticket of Attasut — the one celebration of the 5 in parliament that opposes independence — was equally dismissive of Trump’s aspirations.
Greenland just isn’t within the US “because Donald Trump is very aggressive (and) offensive to Greenland,” he stated.
Ottosen was referring to Trump’s current speech during which he declared that the US would take Greenland “one way or the other.”
He additionally reaffirmed his celebration’s stance on ties with the Kingdom of Denmark, saying Attasut has at all times argued that Greenland ought to “stay in the realm of Denmark, and be stronger in realm of Denmark.”
“We know, in the future, Greenland must be an independent country, but not now. We are not ready.”
‘WE HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED COLONIALISM’
Doris J. Jensen, a former minister of well being and longtime lawmaker from the Siumut celebration who additionally served within the Danish parliament, described Trump’s strategy as “a bit crazy.”
“It’s a little bit crazy, because we live in a democratic country with our democratic values,” she stated.
“It’s not acceptable that he needs to personal our nation and he needs to have management of our nation.
“We have our own parliament, and we have our own ministry, and I think we have already experienced colonialism from Denmark, and we don’t want to experience that again from the US.”
CT Sigmundsen of Naleraq summed up the prevailing sentiment amongst Greenlandic politicians: “He (Trump) can dream, however we need to take our personal nation, after all, not from Denmark or not from America.
“We want to be Greenland and Greenlanders.”
Source: www.anews.com.tr