According to the AP :
A senior legal officer at Greenland ’ s parliament , Kent Fridberg , told The Associated Press he did not know whether any foreign donors had contributed to Greenland ’ s political parties and the idea for the bill was “ basically a preventative measure .”
Fridberg noted that some Russian politicians had voiced a similar interest — and that political parties in Greenland are generally funded by public means .
Even before returning to the White House last month , Trump revived his first-term interest in making Greenland part of the United States . In early January , he even refused to rule out using military force to seize both the autonomous island nation and the Panama Canal .
Danish and Greenlandic leaders have forcefully pushed back against Trump ’ s remarks , and polling published last week by a pair of newspapers — Denmark ’ s Berlingske and Greenland ’ s Sermitsiaq — shows that 85 % of Greenlanders oppose joining the U . S .
Public opinion polling conducted in Greenland in 2018 has also received fresh attention recently , including from Trump himself . Gustav Agneman , an associate professor of economics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology , was part of the team that conducted those older surveys , which he discussed in a Tuesday piece for The Conversation .
“ Two-thirds of the participants thought that ‘ Greenland should become an independent country at some point in the future ,’“ he noted . “ Opinions were more divergent regarding the timing of independence . When asked how they would vote in an independence referendum if it were held today , respondents who stated a preference were evenly split between ‘ yes ’ and ‘ no ’ to independence .”
As Agneman detailed :
Each year , Denmark sends a block grant that covers approximately half of Greenland ’ s budget . This supports a welfare system that is more extensive than what is available to most Americans . In addition , Denmark administers many costly public services , including national defense .
This backdrop presents a dilemma for many Greenlanders who aspire to independence , as they weigh welfare concerns against political sovereignty . This was also evident from my study , which revealed that economic considerations influence independence preferences .
For many Greenlanders , the island nation ’ s rich natural resources present a potential bridge between economic self-sufficiency and full sovereignty . Foreign investments and the associated tax revenues from resource extraction are seen as key to reducing economic dependence on Denmark . Presumably , these natural resources , which include rare earths and other strategic minerals , also help explain Trump ’ s interest in Greenland .
During a January appearance on Fox News , Trump ’ s national security adviser , Mike Waltz , made clear why the Republican has renewed interest in the takeover of the nearby territory , saying : “ It ’ s oil and gas . It ’ s our national security . It ’ s critical minerals .”
One of the most outspoken critics of Trump ’ s plan is leftist Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Egede , who supports independence and has said : “ Greenland is ours . We are not for sale and will never be for sale . We must not lose our long struggle for freedom .”
Announcing the elections for Greenland ’ s parliament , the Inatsisartut , Egede said on Facebook that “ we are facing an unprecedented and challenging time ,” and stressed the need “ for cooperation and unity ” among the island ’ s roughly 60,000 residents .
Even before returning to the White House last month , Trump revived his first-term interest in making Greenland part of the United States . In early January , he even refused to rule out using military force to seize both the autonomous island nation and the Panama Canal .
44 The Trial Lawyer