Danish Foreign Minister: Greenland can become independent but will not join the United States

After Trump said he would not rule out the use of force to seize Greenland, Denmark's foreign minister said Wednesday that Greenland could become independent if its residents wanted it, but not a U.S. state.

Greenland, the world's largest island, has been part of Denmark for 600 years. The island's 57,000 people run their own domestic affairs, and Prime Minister Gede said the government aimed to eventually achieve independence.

Danish Foreign Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said: "We fully recognise that Greenland has its own ambitions. If these ambitions are realized, Greenland will become independent, although it is unlikely to become a federal state of the United States."

He told reporters that it was legitimate for the United States to be more concerned about Arctic security issues as Russian and Chinese activities in the region increased.

"I don't think we're in the middle of a foreign policy crisis. We are open to dialogue with the Americans about how we can work more closely together to ensure that the ambitions of the United States are realized."

Relations between Greenland and Denmark have recently been strained by allegations of colonial-era mistreatment of Greenlanders. Egged says the island is not for sale. He highlighted the push for independence in his New Year's speech. Denmark says the fate of the territory can only be decided by Greenlanders.

Greenland's leader held talks Wednesday with Denmark's King Frederik in Copenhagen. While many Greenlanders dream of independence from Denmark, the king remains popular on the island. Last month, Denmark's royal family modified its crest to enlarge the polar bear, a symbol of Greenland.

"I believe the king is indeed the best person in Denmark to deal with this issue at the moment and he is very popular in Greenland," Degerges, an expert consultant on Greenland, told Reuters.