«We are not for sale». What Greenlanders say about Trump's interest in the island

«Greenlanders do not want to become Americans,» Mia Chemnitz tells the BBC. «We are not for sale.»

The 32-year-old entrepreneur from Greenland's capital Nuuk expresses the sentiments of many interlocutors who spoke about their attitude towards the recent rhetoric of US President Donald Trump's administration.

The White House stated that it is "actively" discussing the proposal to buy the territory, which has belonged to Denmark for centuries. Earlier, Trump and his representatives allowed for the possibility of seizing Greenland by force, if necessary.

These statements caused alarm and outrage among Greenlanders — both on the world's largest island and beyond its borders.

Concerns heightened after the US launched an unprecedented military operation, capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in his residence in Caracas on drug trafficking charges, and extraditing him to New York.

Almost immediately after this, the wife of a high-ranking White House official hinted that Greenland might be the next target of attention.

«That's when it stopped being an abstraction,» says 40-year-old Tupaarnaq Kopek, who moved for family and work reasons from Greenland to Canada — another country Trump had previously threatened with annexation.

«I contacted my sister in Greenland and told her that if the unthinkable suddenly became a reality, we would always have a place for them,» she says.

Aaja Chemnitz, one of the two members of the Danish parliament representing Greenland, stated that the Trump administration's statements were a «direct threat» that «shocked» her.

«It is complete disrespect on the part of the United States not to rule out the annexation of our territory, let alone the annexation of another NATO ally,» she said.

Павялічыць

Greenland is the least populated territory in the world. A significant part of the Arctic island is covered by ice, so most people live in Nuuk and along the southwest coast.

However, it holds strategic importance for the US — which is why an American military presence has existed there since World War II.

Greenland's location between North America and the Arctic makes it convenient for early warning systems in case of missile attacks.

In recent years, interest in the island has also intensified due to its natural resources, including rare earth minerals, access to which is becoming easier as the ice melts amidst climate change.

«It's unpleasant to be a community of 56 thousand people and hear such threats — if one can even call them that — from a giant like the USA,» says Massanaa Egede, editor-in-chief of the Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq. «Greenlanders are alarmed because we do not take this lightly.»

Experts generally agree that a military takeover of Greenland would be a technically uncomplicated task for the US, but the geopolitical consequences would effectively mean the end of the NATO alliance.

After the White House again raised the question of Greenland's affiliation, six European allies issued a statement that the island's future should be determined by its inhabitants — for which, Mia Chemnitz says, she is grateful.

However, she fears that this will mean little to the US, «if words are not followed by consequences and real actions.»

«As a Greenlander, I cannot help but wonder: what are we worth to these allies? And what steps are they willing to take to protect us?» she adds.

Tupaarnaq adds: «Respect is not just alliances on paper. When strong states talk about you, not with you, that respect disappears very quickly.»

Павялічыць

The Trump administration emphasizes that its intention was to buy Greenland from Denmark — despite Copenhagen stating that the territory is not for sale — and yet does not rule out the option of military intervention.

Aaja Chemnitz believes that a forceful annexation is unlikely. According to her, «most likely, we will see pressure aimed at gradually bringing Greenland under US control.»

Polls consistently show that Greenlanders generally support the idea of future independence from Denmark but oppose coming under US control. The territory enjoys broad autonomy, but foreign policy and defense matters remain under Copenhagen's purview.

Perhaps that is why 42-year-old Inuit hunter Alekkatsiaq Peary, who lives in the remote northern town of Qaanaaq, took the prospect of American control rather calmly.

«It will just be a change from one master to another, one occupier to another,» he says. «We are a colony of Denmark. We are already losing a lot by being under Danish rule.»

However, he adds: «I have no time for Trump. Our people need help,» explaining that hunters like him travel on sea ice with dogs and fish, «but the ice is melting, and hunters can no longer make a living.»

According to Sermitsiaq editor-in-chief Massanaa Egede, US rhetoric imposes a false choice: «We must avoid a situation where history is reduced to Greenland supposedly having to choose between the US and Denmark, because that is not the choice Greenlanders want.»

Павялічыць

For others who see Greenland's long-standing relationship with the US threatened, this causes outright irritation.

«People in Greenland are really angry about this,» says Kristian Kjeldsen of the Greenland Business Association.

«Greenlanders are hospitable and open — that's the best thing about our country. But now many are scared,» he adds.

Greenland is open to cooperation with the US, Kjeldsen emphasizes, noting that direct flights between Greenland and New York were recently launched — a clear sign that «we don't need to be taken over.»

«We are a normally functioning democracy, and our government has a strong mandate,» says Mia Chemnitz. «We are NATO allies; the US has military bases in Greenland for over 70 years and still retains the right to create and use new ones. As Greenland has stated before: we are not for sale, but we are open for business.»

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