After former US President Donald Trump announced his interest in acquiring the autonomous Danish island of Greenland, Republican members of Congress submitted a bill to the House of Representatives titled the Make Greenland Great Again Act.
The bill, which opened for signature on Monday, would authorize Trump to initiate negotiations with Denmark to purchase the territory starting at 12:01 a.m. on January 20.
While Democratic leaders in Congress have mocked Trump’s expansionist ambitions, some moderate Democratic members have signaled openness to the idea, according to Axios.
Trump first floated the idea of buying Greenland during his first term in 2019. Recently, he reiterated his desire to acquire the region, which is part of Denmark—a member of the EU and NATO—and did not rule out using military or economic force to achieve this goal. These statements have sparked reactions across Europe.
Adding to the speculation, Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., made a surprise visit to Greenland’s capital, Nuuk.
However, Danish and Greenlandic officials have consistently stated that the autonomous region is not for sale.
“We don’t want to be Danes, we don’t want to be Americans; of course, we want to be Greenlanders,” Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte B. Egede said at a press conference in Copenhagen on Friday.
Speaking to local and international media in Nuuk on Monday, Egede expressed his desire for closer ties with the United States.
According to Axios, Danish officials have contacted Trump’s team and emphasized their openness to expanding the US military presence in Greenland.
Greenlandic media outlet KNR also reported that the prime minister is open to cooperation with the United States on mining and trade issues and is willing to explore opportunities for collaboration with Trump.
Greenland has retained the right to declare independence from Denmark since 2009. The island, home to 56,000 inhabitants and reliant on substantial annual budget transfers from Copenhagen, has so far chosen not to pursue independence.
Greenland is expected to hold parliamentary elections before April 6.
