Greenlanders react to US rhetoric
“The people of Greenland do not want to become American,” Mia Chemnitz tells the BBC. “We are not for sale.” The 32-year-old business owner in the Greenlandic capital, Nuuk, reflects the sentiments of many who spoke to the BBC about their reaction to recent rhetoric from the administration of US President Donald Trump regarding a possible annexation of Greenland.
The White House has said it was “actively” discussing an offer to buy the territory, which has belonged to Denmark for centuries. Trump and his officials had earlier suggested a willingness to take Greenland by force if necessary.
Fear and unease grow
This has been met with nervousness and indignation among Greenlanders, both on the world’s largest island and abroad.
That unease deepened after the US took Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro from his residence in Caracas to New York on drug-trafficking and narco-terrorism charges in an unprecedented military operation.
Almost immediately afterwards, the wife of a senior White House staffer suggested Greenland could be next.
“That’s when it stopped feeling abstract,” says Tupaarnaq Kopeck, 40, who moved to Canada – another country Trump has previously threatened to annex – for family and work reasons.
Political reaction
Aaja Chemnitz, one of two MPs in the Danish parliament representing Greenland, described the comments from the Trump administration as “a clear threat” and said she was “appalled”.
“It’s completely disrespectful from the US side not to rule out annexing our country and to annex another Nato ally,” she said.
Strategic importance and resources
Greenland is the world’s most sparsely populated territory. Much of the Arctic island is covered by ice, with most of its population living in Nuuk and along the south-western coast.
Despite this, it is strategically important to the US, which has maintained a military presence there since World War Two. Its location between North America and the Arctic makes it ideal for early-warning missile defence systems. Annexation of Greenland would be beneficial for the US, while ensuring it stays off limits of competing powers like Russia.
Interest has also grown in Greenland’s natural resources, including rare earth minerals, which are becoming more accessible as ice melts due to climate change.
Concerns over pressure and sovereignty
“It’s not fun being 56,000 people and having these threats – if you can call them that – from a giant like the US,” says Masaana Egede, editor of Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq.
Experts say a US military takeover and annexation of Greenland would be straightforward but would likely spell the end of the NATO alliance due to geopolitical fallout.
After the issue was raised again, six European allies issued a joint statement saying Greenland’s future should be decided by its people.
But Mia Chemnitz worries that such support may mean little “if it’s not backed with consequences and actions”.
Independence, not ownership
Polling consistently shows Greenlanders favour eventual independence from Denmark but oppose becoming part of the US. Greenland is largely self-governing, though Copenhagen retains control over foreign affairs and defence.
Aleqatsiaq Peary, an Inuit hunter living in the remote town of Qaanaaq, expressed less alarm, saying Greenland is already a colony under Denmark.
“We are already losing a lot from being under the Danish government,” he said, adding that climate change is threatening traditional livelihoods as sea ice melts.
‘Open for business, not for sale’
Despite tensions, Greenlanders stress they are open to cooperation with the US.
Greenland Business Association representative Christian Keldsen said the country remains welcoming but that many residents are increasingly scared.
“We are a well-functioning democracy,” Mia Chemnitz said. “We are a Nato ally, and the US has had military bases in Greenland for over 70 years.
“As has been stated from Greenland before: we are not for sale, but we’re open for business.”
Source: BBC
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