Greenland's Prime Minister has a clear message for President Donald Trump: Greenland is ours. Mette Bourup Egede shared this message on Facebook Wednesday, just hours after Trump mentioned in his speech to Congress that he plans to take control of Greenland, by any means necessary. Egede wrote in his post, using Greenland's name, "Kalaallit Nunaat is ours."

“We don't want to be Americans, nor Danes; We are Kalaallit. The Americans and their leader must understand that. We are not for sale and cannot simply be taken. Our future will be decided by us in Greenland,” he said. The message concluded with a Greenlandic flag and a clinched fist emoji. In Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, the temperature was minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 Celsius) at midday on Wednesday. The bright sunshine reflected off the fresh snow, making it almost blinding. Meanwhile, people there are seriously considering Trump's interest in their country. Since becoming president six weeks ago, Trump has repeatedly shown interest in Greenland, a large island rich in minerals. Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark with about 56,000 people. It is located in the North Atlantic along important sea routes and is closer to Washington, DC, than to Copenhagen.

Trump directly addressed the people of Greenland in his speech to Congress, just a week before they voted in their parliamentary elections. "We strongly support your right to determine your own future, and if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America. We will keep you safe. We will make you rich. And together we will take Greenland to heights like you have never thought possible before," Trump said.

Since starting his second term, Trump has focused on great power politics. He suggested relocating Palestinians from Gaza and transforming the area into a Middle Eastern Riviera. He also announced plans to take back control of the Panama Canal and halted arms shipments to Ukraine because its president was slow to support Washington's proposed peace deal with Russia. Trump claimed that his administration was attempting to acquire Greenland by collaborating with all parties. “We need it really for international world security. And I think we're going to get it. One way or the other, we're going to get it,” Trump said.

Lisa Aardestrup, an 18-year-old language student, carefully stepped off a bus onto an icy street on her way to class Wednesday morning, uninterested in Trump's proposal. She worries that if Greenland becomes part of the United States, it could harm the environment and the fishing industry, which makes up about 90% of the country's exports. She also fears it would lead to higher inflation and taxes. “We feel like it's a bad idea, and we just more want to be like our little island that's more independent than anything else. Greenland is very independent,” Aardestrup said. Aardestrup is also concerned about bringing problems like school shootings, divisive politics, and homelessness from the U.S. to Greenland. She worries that these issues could harm Greenland's culture, which she knows from the stories her parents shared with her.  “There's a lot of great people here,” she said.

“Like, you create very lovely and longstanding friendships. And I think that's what I love about Greenland so much.” When asked about Trump's comments, Denmark's foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, stated that he didn’t think the people of Greenland would want to separate from Denmark just to become part of the United States. He added that he believed the most important part of Trump’s speech was his mention of respecting Greenlanders' right to self-determination.

“I'm very optimistic about what will be a Greenlandic decision about this,” he said during a trip to Finland. “They want to loosen their ties to Denmark. We're working on that, to have a more equal relationship.” Lkke emphasised that next week's elections should be free and fair, without any interference from other countries. Although most Greenlanders don’t want to join the US, not everyone shares that view. Yulao Sandkreen is excited about the idea of Greenland becoming part of the United States, especially if Trump makes an offer. Standing outside a supermarket, holding a coffee and a cigarette, Sandkreen reflected on the benefits of closer ties with the US. With a relative who once worked with the US Coast Guard, they see potential advantages in strengthening the connection. “We need McDonald's,” he said. “We need everything.”