00:00.
00:05Joining me is Greenland.
00:10The Prime Minister for Business, Energy and Mineral Resources, Naya Nathanielsen.
00:15Her government is now entering talks with the US and Denmark over the future.
00:20President Donald Trump is still seeking an unprecedented
00:25foothold in the Arctic island, despite climbing down on his previous threats.
00:30Minister, thank you so much.
00:35Thank you so much for joining us.
00:36It's a pleasure to have you.
00:37Thank you for having me.
00:38So can I first ask you to reflect...
00:40on the dramatic recent few days when the future of...
00:45Greenland was really in the balance.
00:47After all of this, can Greenlanders...
00:50still consider Trump's America to be their ally and friend.
00:55If I reflect back on the last 14 days and so, I think...
01:00it was...
01:01we saw an increased rhetoric regarding Greenland in terms of the American interest, but...
01:05mind you, the US have had an interest in Greenland for the past many years actually, more than...
01:10hundred of years.
01:11So we are quite used to this interest from the US and we do...
01:15realize that we are part of that national security interest sphere.
01:19So that part is not...
01:20new to us.
01:21Of course, there has been an increased rhetoric about buying or acquiring...
01:25Greenland or even taking us by force.
01:27We are not a territory.
01:28We are a country.
01:30equal...
01:31equal country within the Kingdom of Denmark.
01:34And...
01:35we are a people in our own right, acknowledged by law and therefore...
01:40of course, it would be a great and grave violation of international law if...
01:44if any...
01:45anything was to happen without our consent.
01:47Trump has obviously climbed down.
01:50on his most threatening rhetoric.
01:53But you are now entering...
01:55talks with his administration as well as with Denmark on a future kind of...
02:00a framework deal.
02:01Trump says that a framework deal does exist.
02:04Are you aware...
02:05of that framework and what does it entail?
02:07There is no deal yet.
02:10what we have is an agreement to venture into a dialogue between...
02:14it's going to...
02:15be...
02:16I think...
02:17maybe a number of different dialogues.
02:18I think there will be a NATO-led...
02:20dialogue that has to do with maybe...
02:22an increased presence from NATO and...
02:25in the high north...
02:26that could be Greenland.
02:27We would welcome that.
02:29Then there would be...
02:30these trilateral dialogues between the US on one side and the...
02:35Kingdom of Denmark consistent in this part of...
02:37Greenland and Denmark on the other side.
02:39And we still...
02:40have to gain clarity about what is...
02:42what is the American interest.
02:45concretely because we really haven't heard anything yet.
02:49And then there might...
02:50be something regarding...
02:52a more...
02:53a closure business type.
02:55there...
02:56and that would be a whole other dialogue as well.
02:59You mentioned...
03:00that you are...
03:01a country...
03:02you are...
03:03a people...
03:04and your Prime Minister has...
03:05said that Greenland's sovereignty and...
03:08integrity of its borders cannot...
03:10be violated...
03:11it's non-negotiable.
03:12Yet...
03:13Trump is saying in public...
03:14that he wants...
03:15full access...
03:16um...
03:17to your country.
03:18Do you think that...
03:19a compromise...
03:20is...
03:21is possible here?
03:22I think...
03:23if you look at the 1951...
03:24agreed...
03:25agreement already in place...
03:27the US has wide access...
03:28to Greenland...
03:29and we have no...
03:30problems with this...
03:31we also...
03:32do not have any problems...
03:33with some sort of...
03:34of...
03:35update of that...
03:36agreement...
03:37but we would of course...
03:38need to hear more...
03:39in detail...
03:40what that...
03:40would entail...
03:41and how that...
03:42would be...
03:43possible...
03:44with our Red Lions...
03:45which is...
03:45mentioned...
03:46that we want...
03:47the territory...
03:48to be...
03:49the realm...
03:50to be...
03:50intact...
03:51and our sovereignty...
03:52to be intact...
03:53You are however...
03:54Minister...
03:55for...
03:55general...
03:56resources...
03:57and we know...
03:58that Greenland...
03:59is a hotbed...
04:00of...
04:01of...
04:02critical...
04:03you...
04:04you...
04:05you...
04:06you...
04:07you...
04:08you...
04:09you...
04:10you...
04:23you...
04:24are very much open to investments and collaborations with the US. We already
04:29have a memorandum of understanding that is from 2019 under Trump one that we have been
04:34seeking to update. But we cannot, I think, start to
04:39to put it all together in the same basket because it's different things we cannot
04:44give another country full access to our minerals.
04:49This is a rule based country. So we, of course, you need to follow the
04:54local rules and regulations in order to gain access. But we have definitely every interest.
04:59In deepening our relationship and figuring out this, how can we, to our mutual
05:04benefit develop our mineral sector.
05:06And several different investors can
05:09and countries are interested, of course, in developing Greenland's mineral sector.
05:14Including some companies with Chinese links. Do you understand
05:19that Trump has some concerns around that? And would you be willing to
05:24limit the extent to which the West's adversaries, such as China,
05:29can invest in your mineral sector?
05:32Currently, as I'm aware,
05:34we have two Chinese companies invested in a mineral sector. Both of these licenses are
05:39in
05:39active, and both are being fought in court, actually, against the government of Greenland.
05:44So I don't see a lot of Chinese interest into a mineral sector. We don't see
05:49a lot of Chinese interference in our world.
05:54We don't see a lot of Chinese investors, as also mentioned. I think we have shown quite
05:57clearly throughout the years that we're
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07:25I think there right now is a lot of wishful thinking in Europe, pining.
07:30Towards the things that were, but we are in a changing world order and also.
07:35Like the Canadian prime minister said, the rupture is already has happened.
07:39So I think.
07:40We all need to find our footing in these new alliances and figure out how do we see itself
07:44going forward.
07:45What kind of values do we want to guide our future policies and.
07:50It's not going to be free.
07:51It's going to cost difficult discussions.
07:55Amongst allies, amongst friends and also economically in the country.
08:00So I think a lot of things are up in the air at this moment, not only in Greenland, but
08:04also.
08:05Europe and in the States, and we have to see where, where the, where everything lands.
08:10You mentioned just very briefly that new world order, that rupture, that.
08:15Prime Minister Carney of Canada referred to.
08:17How fearful are you that Greenland.
08:20Greenland could be particularly vulnerable though, because we know of its strategic position
08:23in the Arctic, we know.
08:25We know of its mineral wealth and what does Greenland need to be able to defend.
08:30Itself in this new world order where it's might overwrite.
08:35Well, Greenland will never be able to defend ourselves military on our own.
08:38That has never been up.
08:40Greenland and we have always been vulnerable towards outside interest from big.
08:45countries, we have been a colony in the past, we have been used to the.
08:50an intense look upon our resources from the outside world and I think.
08:55has done a great job trying to build a community based on international law and transparency.
09:00and, and democracy, but, but mind you, if, if.
09:05Even Greenland is at stake in some form or other in the future, so is the entire western world.
09:10world that would only be part of it, that would be mean that rupture was complete and that.
09:15you could no longer rely on international law to be upheld.
09:19So, so that would.
09:20change the situation, not only in Greenland, but for everybody that is affected and.
09:25align ourselves with our values.
09:29Finally, what do you.
09:30think these past weeks months have done to the increasing.
09:35goals for more self-determination and eventually even independence for Greenland.
09:40do you think that has received a little bit of a setback and then you realize that your.
09:45deeper reliance and connection with Denmark and with Europe or do you think there's still.
09:50another case to be made about further self-determination for Greenland.
09:54Well, I think.
09:55any country are working towards more self-determination wouldn't your country.
09:58I think it's very natural.
10:00And for us, this has never been a sprint.
10:02It has always been a marathon and we are working towards.
10:05more self-determination within the kingdom of Denmark and that is where the people.
10:10appetite is currently and has been for many years, so there has never been this imminent.
10:16complete sovereignty right around the corner.
10:19I think that has been.
10:20something that has maybe been painted by outside media more than the actual.
10:25discussions within Greenland.
10:26So we are working towards more self-determination.
10:30in every aspect, if you look at the Greenland community and country, we have.
10:35really built strong institutions in the last 30, 40 years.
10:40so and really shown that that we gradually take more and more responsibility.
10:45for our own community and always with an underlying understanding.
10:50that we are so few 57,000 people currently that we will never be.
10:55able to be able to gain fully independence and be able to defend our country military that has.
11:00never been a goal.
11:01It has always been a goal to gain more self-determination and.
11:05and I think it's a very.
11:06human.
11:07want.
11:08and I think that will of course.
11:10stay.
11:11stay.
11:12I also think that.
11:13stay.
11:14I also think that.
11:15that the idea of freedom is very.
11:18it's a baseline.
11:20and for us.
11:21the idea that we can determine our own fate is.
11:25is.
11:25very.
11:26very.
11:27strong.
11:28and these past two weeks.
11:29I think has really.
11:30both.
11:31both cause concern, of course, but, but also.
11:34I.
11:35I think it's like an anger beginning to.
11:37uh.
11:38come forward.
11:39that.
11:40that.
11:40that.
11:41and then.
11:42that people feel that what is happening now is unjust.
11:44uh.
11:45and.
11:46um.
11:47they find it difficult to wrap their head around that an ally would treat us like.
11:50that.
11:51Minister, many thanks for joining us on Euronews.
11:55Thank you for having me.
11:56Have a nice day.
12:00You
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