The magnate’s statements come after the president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, suggested that Washington should acquire the strategic island.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has expressed support for Greenland becoming part of the United States, after incoming President Donald Trump renewed his interest in acquiring the self-governing Danish island.
Musk made these comments on Sunday, writing in X: “If the people of Greenland want to be part of the United States, which I hope they do, they will be welcome!” In doing so, he was responding to a recent survey by the University of Copenhagen that indicated that the majority of Greenlanders favor independence.
Musk’s comments came after Trump expressed support for the island acquisition, describing it as a “absolute necessity” and a “national security” affair. The president-elect first suggested purchasing Greenland during his first term in 2019, but the idea went nowhere at the time due to opposition from both Greenland and Denmark.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Mute Egede rejected the possibility of selling the island to the United States, but said Friday that “We are ready to talk” with Trump. He pointed out that “We have a desire for independence, a desire to be masters of our own home… This is something that everyone should respect.”
On Saturday, Axios reported, citing sources, that Denmark, Washington’s NATO ally, had sent “private messages” to Trump indicating that he is open to discussing increasing the US military presence in Greenland.
The island of about 60,000 inhabitants already hosts a US military base and plays a key role in NATO defense due to its strategic location, which allows it to control vital shipping routes in the Arctic that are gradually becoming more navigable due to global warming. .
Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark since 1979, has gradually sought greater sovereignty. Currently, the island has its own government, but Denmark retains management of foreign affairs and defense.
A 2019 poll indicated that 67.8% of Greenlanders favor independence from Denmark within the next two decades.
