Greenland has announced a desire to obtain independence from Denmark in the wake of President-elect Trump’s comments about buying the island territory

Greenland’s Prime Minister, Múte Egede, expressed a renewed commitment to pursuing independence from Denmark following President-elect Trump’s comments about potentially purchasing the island.

“The Greenlandic people’s path to independence has been outlined through the provisions of the Self-Government Act, which establishes the legal framework for achieving independence,” Egede stated during a New Year’s speech on Wednesday.

“A draft constitution for our nation has been prepared,” he continued. “Work is already underway to develop the structures necessary for Greenland to function as an independent state within the opportunities provided by the Self-Government Act.”

Egede’s remarks came just days after Trump revisited the idea of acquiring Greenland, a strategically important territory in the Arctic region.

“For the purposes of national security and freedom worldwide, the United States believes that owning and controlling Greenland is an absolute necessity,” Trump declared in a Dec. 22 post on Truth Social.

In response, Egede firmly rejected the notion of a sale, emphasizing Greenland’s sovereignty.

“Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale,” Egede asserted. “We must safeguard the hard-fought progress we’ve made toward freedom.”