00:00.
00:05Joining me is Greenland.
00:10The Prime Minister for Business, Energy and Mineral Resources, Naya Nathanielsen.
00:15Her government is now entering talks with the US and Denmark over the future.
00:20President Donald Trump is still seeking an unprecedented
00:25foothold in the Arctic island, despite climbing down on his previous threats.
00:30Minister, thank you so much.
00:35Thank you so much for joining us.
00:36It's a pleasure to have you.
00:37Thank you for having me.
00:38So can I first ask you to reflect...
00:40on the dramatic recent few days when the future of...
00:45Greenland was really in the balance.
00:47After all of this, can Greenlanders...
00:50still consider Trump's America to be their ally and friend.
00:55If I reflect back on the last 14 days and so, I think...
01:00it was...
01:01we saw an increased rhetoric regarding Greenland in terms of the American interest, but...
01:05mind you, the US have had an interest in Greenland for the past many years actually, more than...
01:10hundred of years.
01:11So we are quite used to this interest from the US and we do...
01:15realize that we are part of that national security interest sphere.
01:19So that part is not...
01:20new to us.
01:21Of course, there has been an increased rhetoric about buying or acquiring...
01:25Greenland or even taking us by force.
01:27We are not a territory.
01:28We are a country.
01:30equal...
01:31equal country within the Kingdom of Denmark.
01:34And...
01:35we are a people in our own right, acknowledged by law and therefore...
01:40of course, it would be a great and grave violation of international law if...
01:44if any...
01:45anything was to happen without our consent.
01:47Trump has obviously climbed down.
01:50on his most threatening rhetoric.
01:53But you are now entering...
01:55talks with his administration as well as with Denmark on a future kind of...
02:00a framework deal.
02:01Trump says that a framework deal does exist.
02:04Are you aware...
02:05of that framework and what does it entail?
02:07There is no deal yet.
02:10what we have is an agreement to venture into a dialogue between...
02:14it's going to...
02:15be...
02:16I think...
02:17maybe a number of different dialogues.
02:18I think there will be a NATO-led...
02:20dialogue that has to do with maybe...
02:22an increased presence from NATO and...
02:25in the high north...
02:26that could be Greenland.
02:27We would welcome that.
02:29Then there would be...
02:30these trilateral dialogues between the US on one side and the...
02:35Kingdom of Denmark consistent in this part of...
02:37Greenland and Denmark on the other side.
02:39And we still...
02:40have to gain clarity about what is...
02:42what is the American interest.
02:45concretely because we really haven't heard anything yet.
02:49And then there might...
02:50be something regarding...
02:52a more...
02:53a closure business type.
02:55there...
02:56and that would be a whole other dialogue as well.
02:59You mentioned...
03:00that you are...
03:01a country...
03:02you are...
03:03a people...
03:04and your Prime Minister has...
03:05said that Greenland's sovereignty and...
03:08integrity of its borders cannot...
03:10be violated...
03:11it's non-negotiable.
03:12Yet...
03:13Trump is saying in public...
03:14that he wants...
03:15full access...
03:16um...
03:17to your country.
03:18Do you think that...
03:19a compromise...
03:20is...
03:21is possible here?
03:22I think...
03:23if you look at the 1951...
03:24agreed...
03:25agreement already in place...
03:27the US has wide access...
03:28to Greenland...
03:29and we have no...
03:30problems with this...
03:31we also...
03:32do not have any problems...
03:33with some sort of...
03:34of...
03:35update of that...
03:36agreement...
03:37but we would of course...
03:38need to hear more...
03:39in detail...
03:40what that...
03:40would entail...
03:41and how that...
03:42would be...
03:43possible...
03:44with our Red Lions...
03:45which is...
03:45mentioned...
03:46that we want...
03:47the territory...
03:48to be...
03:49the realm...
03:50to be...
03:50intact...
03:51and our sovereignty...
03:52to be intact...
03:53You are however...
03:54Minister...
03:55for...
03:55general...
03:56resources...
03:57and we know...
03:58that Greenland...
03:59is a hotbed...
04:00of...
04:01of...
04:02And would that be up for negotiations that have increased?
04:07More American access to those resources, more mining contracts as part of the commercial deal that you...
04:12...reference?
04:13Well, I do not want to combine any form of defence.
04:17Agreement with access to our minerals, we need to keep these things in their separate...
04:22...baskets, if you will, and we are very much open to investment and collaboration.
04:27With the US, we already have a memorandum of understanding that is from 2009.
04:32...under Trump 1 that we have been seeking to update.
04:37But we cannot, I think, start to put it all together in the same...
04:42...basket because it's different things.
04:43We cannot give another country full action.
04:47We have access to our minerals.
04:48This is a rule-based country.
04:51So...
04:52We, of course, you need to follow the local rules and regulations in order to gain access.
04:57But...
04:57We have definitely every interest in deepening our relationship and figuring out this...
05:02...how can we, to our mutual benefit, develop our mineral sector.
05:06And...
05:07Several different investors, countries, are interested, of course, in developing...
05:12...the Greenland's mineral sector, including some companies with Chinese links.
05:17Do you understand that Trump has some concerns...
05:22...around that and would you be willing to limit the extent to which...
05:27...the West's adversaries, such as China, can invest in your mineral sector?
05:32Currently, as I'm aware, we have two Chinese companies invested in a mineral...
05:37...sector.
05:38Both of these licenses are inactive and both are being fought in court, actually.
05:42...against the government of Greenland.
05:43So I don't see a lot of Chinese interest.
05:47...into a mineral sector.
05:48We don't see a lot of Chinese interference in...
05:52...in our waters, as also mentioned.
05:55I think we have shown...
05:57...quite clearly throughout the years that...
05:59...where we stand in terms of allyships and partnerships.
06:02We have clearly chosen the Western world as our partners.
06:07...the European Union, the US, Canada, UK, and...
06:12...I think we have both in regulation and in policy.
06:17...shown where we stand.
06:18Minister, the past few days...
06:22...have been quite frightening for some Greenlanders...
06:24...especially when Trump initially was...
06:27...using rhetoric such as the possibility of using force to seize the territory.
06:32You mentioned that there could potentially be dialogue around increased NATO...
06:37...presence, but do you think today that Europe and...
06:42...Western allies other than the US would be ready and able...
06:47...to defend Greenland if it was needed?
06:50I think there is more than one...
06:52...answer to that question, really.
06:53I think that NATO has proven itself to be a good alliance.
06:57The countries, the member states, do not always agree on everything...
07:01...but it has a...
07:02...shown and given prosperity and peace to a wider part of the world than just...
07:07...NATO member states.
07:08So I think it is a good alliance too.
07:10I believe that everything will...
07:12...be unchanged in the future.
07:14If you look at the world historically, no, things have...
07:17...changed throughout the years and...
07:19...and allies have shifted.
07:21And of course it's...
07:22...that will also happen to us sometime in the future.
07:25I think that right now is a lot of wishful...
07:27...thinking in Europe, pining towards the things that work.
07:32But we are in a changing world order.
07:34And also like the Canadian Prime Minister said...
07:37...the rupture is already has happened.
07:39So I think we all need to find our footing in these...
07:42...new alliances and figure out how do we see ourselves going forward?
07:45What kind of values do we want?
07:47We want to guide our future policies.
07:49And it's not going to be free.
07:51It's going to...
07:52...in the past difficult discussions amongst allies, amongst friends.
07:57...and also economically in the country.
08:00So I think a lot of things are up in the air.
08:02...at this moment, not only in Greenland, but also in Europe and in the States.
08:07And we have to see where everything lands.
08:10You mentioned just very briefly...
08:12...that new world order, that rupture...
08:14...that Prime Minister Carney of Canada referred to.
08:17How fearful are you that Greenland could be particularly vulnerable though?
08:22Because we know of its strategic position in the Arctic.
08:24We know of its mineral wealth.
08:27And what does Greenland need to be able to defend itself in this new world?
08:32...or the world order where it might overwrite?
08:35Well, Greenland will never be able to defend...
08:37...ourself military on our own.
08:38That has never been our plan.
08:40And we have always been vulnerable.
08:42...towards outside interests from bigger countries.
08:45We have been a colony.
08:47...in the past.
08:48We have been used to the...
08:50...an intense look.
08:52...upon our resources from the outside world.
08:54And I think he's done a great job trying to build and keep...
08:57...a community based on international law and transparency and democracy.
09:02But mind you, if Greenland is at stake in some...
09:07...former other in the future, so is the entire Western world.
09:10That would only be part...
09:12...out of it.
09:13That would mean that rupture was complete and that you could no longer rely on it.
09:17...in international law to be upheld.
09:19So that would change the situation not only in Greenland but...
09:22...for everybody that is affected and...
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