Greenland PM 'ready' to talk with Trump

Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede said he is “ready” to talk with President-elect Trump, who has recently expressed ambitions for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, the world’s largest island. 

Egede was asked during a press conference in Copenhagen on Friday if he was in touch with the president-elect. He said no, but added that “we are ready to talk."

Trump has previously said the U.S. control of Greenland, an autonomous island within the Kingdom of Denmark, is “an absolute necessity.” He declined to rule out using the military in hopes of getting the island with a population of over 56,000 people, arguing its control is crucial to national security, a sentiment echoed earlier this week by his pick for national security adviser, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.). 

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen met with Egede in Copenhagen on Friday. Both were at the press conference. During the address, Frederiksen said she had asked for a meeting with the president-elect. 

Egede emphasized Friday that, "Greenland is for the Greenlandic people. We do not want to be Danish, we do not want to be American. We want to be Greenlandic.” 

In recent days, Denmark has been communicating with Trump’s team, showing openness to talk about fortifying the island’s security or ramping up the U.S. military presence on the Arctic island, Axios reported Saturday, citing two sources with knowledge of the issue. The Hill has reached out to Trump’s transition team about the reported messages. 

Frederiksen earlier this week stressed that Greenland is not for sale, remarks that were made as Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr., arrived on the Arctic island. Trump Jr. was there for a day trip to shoot some video content for a podcast, a source familiar with the matter told The Hill.