Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede emphasised his desire to pursue independence from Denmark, its former colonial ruler, during his New Year speech, marking a significant change in the rhetoric surrounding the Arctic island's future.

The self-governing Danish territory has been in the spotlight since US President-elect Donald Trump reiterated his wish to buy the island. View on euronews

During his New Year's speech, the Prime Minister of Greenland, Múte Egede, expressed his desire for independence from Denmark. He stated that he wants the island to determine its own future, Reuters reports.

For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” Trump

Former national security adviser Robert O’Brien said in a Sunday interview that Denmark should let the U.S. “buy” Greenland if it cannot defend the self-governing country, noting the territory

To imagine the kind of future a hotter, dryer climate may bring, and the geopolitical challenges it will create, look no farther than two parts of the world that Donald Trump wants America to control: Greenland and the Panama Canal.