Renewed interest from US President-elect Donald Trump in Greenland has sparked mixed reactions among its residents. While some Greenlanders view potential alignment with a superpower positively, others firmly reject the notion of the semi-autonomous Danish territory being for sale.
On Monday, Trump declared US control of the strategically significant Arctic Island as an “absolute necessity” and, during a press conference the following day, did not dismiss the possibility of using military or economic means to achieve it. Coinciding with his statement, Donald Trump Jr. made a private visit to Greenland.
Mikael Ludvidsen, a local of Nuuk, is less than impressed with the speech; he said that “I believe he is shouting too much. You cannot respect him when saying he will invade us.” In the same train of thought as Mikael was Niels Nielsen, who remarked, “You can’t sell Greenland.”
On the other hand, a few residents find some advantages of allying with a superpower. Jens Ostermann noted, “Greenland is a rich country, we have everything here. We should partner with a great power.”
Greenland’s Prime Minister, Mute Egede, has been calling for residents to unite with each other and has restated his goal that the territory would eventually be completely independent from Denmark, its former colonial master.
When Donald Trump Jr. came to town, some locals greeted him wearing Make America Great Again caps, warm but cautious. The Greenlandic newspaper “Sermitsiaq” covered the visit under the headline, “Warm but Reserved Welcome for Donald Trump Jr.”
Aki-Matilda Hoegh-Dam is a member of Greenland’s Siumut party in the Danish parliament. She said, “Trump’s reaction underscores how significant Greenland is in the current geopolitical landscape.”
The contrasting opinions among Greenlanders reflect the complexity of their nation’s future and its strategic role on the global stage.
