Greenland was a Danish colony until 1953 but is now a self-governing territory of Denmark and in 2009 achieved the right to claim independence through a vote. In 2023, Greenland’s government presented its first draft constitution.
"The history and current conditions have shown that our cooperation with the Kingdom of Denmark has not succeeded in creating full equality," Egede said.
"It is now time for our country to take the next step. Like other countries in the world, we must work to remove the obstacles to cooperation – which we can describe as the shackles of colonialism – and move forward," he said.
He added that it was up to the people of Greenland to decide on independence but did not say when a vote could be held.
While a majority of Greenland’s 57,000 inhabitants support independence, there is division over the timing and potential impact on living standards.
Greenland’s government has twice rejected offers by Trump to purchase the island, in 2019 and again last year, with Egede asserting that "Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale."
The speech did not mention Trump or the United States. Greenland’s capital Nuuk is closer to New York than the Danish capital Copenhagen.
Despite the wealth of mineral, oil, and natural gas resources, Greenland’s economy remains fragile, heavily dependent on fishing and annual grants from Denmark.
Greenland is due to hold parliamentary elections before April 6.