Murkowski and Chemnitz: Greenland “Ally, not an Asset”
Washington, DC – Today, United States Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska and Co-Chair of the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region) and Aaja Chemnitz (Member of Danish Parliament representing Greenland for Inuit Ataqatigiit and Chair of the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region), released the following joint statement:
“In recent weeks, as President Trump has suggested the U.S. should purchase Greenland from the Kingdom of Denmark, attention has rapidly turned to what the future may hold. The appeal of Greenland is easy to understand. It is strategically located for defense, shipping, and more. It is also a storehouse for all sorts of minerals, the building blocks of society that will determine who leads—and controls—the industries of the future.
“Of course, a businessman turned president would be interested. But Greenland is not for sale. The question has been asked and firmly answered by the government of Greenland, Naalakkersuisut.
“As legislators representing Greenland in Denmark and the United States, we see a better path forward. The United States, like Denmark, should recognize that the future will be defined by partnership, not ownership. To ensure our alliance reaches its full potential, Americans must view Greenland as an ally, not an asset. Open for business, but not for sale.
“From our work on Arctic Parliamentarians, we are certain that U.S. ambitions for national security can be achieved without altering Greenland’s autonomy. We see that in Pittufik Space Base. Dialogue and cooperation can strengthen our ties; diplomacy can pave the way for a relationship and alliance that fulfills our mutual interests.
“We can also affirm that Greenland welcomes increased cooperation with the U.S. on defense, mineral development, trade, and our common values of freedom and democracy. The U.S. should embrace that. And it should be paired with a larger acceptance of the Arctic as a region of shared responsibility whose opportunities cannot be seized, and whose challenges cannot be overcome, by any one nation on its own.
“Let’s remember that the U.S. portion of the Arctic—Alaska—shares more than lines of latitude with Greenland. Whether you’re in Nuuk or Nome, you will see and hear familiar words, a reflection of our Inuk and Iñupiaq peoples’ common history. Alaska has the same advantages as Greenland, from strategic location to abundant resources. We can form the heart of this union throughout the 21st century and beyond.
“We work hard to ensure prosperity, peaceful and respectful collaboration and protection of our people. We do so through international cooperation including through the Arctic Council which is the main Arctic cooperative governance body. We call on continued support and engagement in the peaceful dialogue through the Arctic Council, and we look forward and support the incoming chairship of Kingdom of Denmark, and recognize the leading role of Greenland in the chairship.
“The future does not require us to redraw the borders on that map, but to work harder than ever across them. The respectful, consensus partnership is the only way to truly foster the ties that will bind Greenland and the United States together for the long haul. We call the Arctic our home. We work hard to ensure prosperity, peaceful and respectful collaboration and protection of our people. We believe in a stronger partnership for a brighter future across the Arctic.”
Yesterday, the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region (SCPAR) met in Tromsø, Norway, for the organization’s winter meeting. Senator Murkowski participated virtually.
