Pele Broberg, leader of the Naleraq party, Greenland's largest opposition group advocating for independence, stated on 9/1 that his party recommends Greenland's government negotiate directly with the US government. Broberg asserted that Denmark's intermediary role unnecessarily creates confrontation between Greenland and the US.

Greenland, the world's largest island, is an autonomous territory of Denmark. It has a population of 57,000 and spans approximately 2.16 million sq km, making it larger than Mexico and more than three times the size of the US state of Texas. While Greenland possesses its own parliament and government, Denmark retains decision-making authority over foreign affairs and defense. Recently, the US government has intensified efforts to gain control over Greenland. President Donald Trump has argued that the US requires the island for defense purposes and has not ruled out military measures to achieve this goal.

Both the Danish government and Greenland's authorities have firmly rejected these overtures, emphasizing that the island "is not for sale." On 9/1, Trump announced that a deal to control Greenland could be reached "in a tough way," while simultaneously disputing Denmark's sovereignty over the island. "I like Denmark, they're very nice to me. However, a Danish ship arriving in Greenland 500 years ago does not mean they own that land," the US leader remarked.

Pele Broberg, leader of Greenland's opposition Naleraq party, during an interview in Denmark. Photo: Reuters.

Despite not being part of the ruling coalition, the Naleraq party aims to forge a defense agreement with Washington. They are exploring a "free association" model, under which Greenland would receive support and protection from the US in exchange for military rights, without becoming a US territory. Naleraq, which advocates for the island's swift and full independence, doubled its parliamentary seats to 8 out of 31 in last year's election, highlighting its growing influence.

Denmark and Greenland's government have yet to comment on Broberg's recommendation. However, Vivian Motzfeldt, head of Greenland's foreign affairs, stated on 7/1 that Greenland cannot legally negotiate directly with the US without Denmark's involvement. "We have clear rules on how to address issues within the framework," she explained. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Motzfeldt, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio are scheduled to meet next week. Motzfeldt expressed her "greatest hope" that the meeting would lead to a normalization of relations.