Greenland, the world’s largest island, finds itself at the center of geopolitical tensions as U.S. interest in its vast mineral resources intensifies. Denmark pays for nearly all of Greenland’s annual budget. This relatively small territory has become trapped between the majestic mountains of the United States and Russia, and lately piqued the interest of the dragon – China. Former U.S. President Donald Trump has openly expressed interest in acquiring Greenland, stirring both concern and debate within the island’s community.
Trump’s comments have elicited a swift response from Greenland’s government, which firmly asserts that Greenland is not for sale. To this, Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen responded in no uncertain terms, “No, no, no. At the moment, we are united in our message. Any decision regarding Greenland will be taken in Greenland. Period. End of story. Not negotiable.” This sentiment reflects the overwhelming majority of Greenlanders who oppose the idea of becoming part of the United States.
In spite of overwhelming resistance, a minority of Greenlanders hold other beliefs. Jorgen Boassen supports secession from Denmark. He continues, Trump’s newfound interest may provide an important new bit of leverage in that quest. As he stated, “We should be aiming for self-sufficiency and founding our own state. That’s the wish Greenland always had, and we can still be the USA’s nearest companion.
The island’s plentiful deposits of critical minerals, crucial for green technology transition, are another major factor for U.S. interest. Upon visiting Washington, Greenland’s new mineral resources minister Naaja Nathanielsen expressed interest in negotiating military bilaterals with the U.S. She wants to make America more visible on the island. She noted, “It seems like maybe more rhetoric than an actual problem because they could just invest if they so wanted.”
Trump’s aggressive rhetoric regarding potential forceful acquisition has reignited historical traumas among Greenland’s Inuit population. For local activist Nive Heilmann, these remarks were alarming. She stated, “What Donald Trump said, as much as I dislike all this, I see a movement in Greenland of us realizing and knowing our worth and demanding the respect.” Heilmann further addressed Denmark’s own colonial legacy, stating that addressing historic injustices must be based on recognition of history. You’re not able to go back and fix everything that’s happened to us. You can do the opposite by saying, ‘Okay that was really bad and we’re sorry for that,’” she added.
The historical context is important because many Greenlanders are survivors of colonial practices. For instance, when Heilmann shared her story of being transported to Denmark at 14 years old with the pretext of integrating into colonial society. There’s this narrative that Denmark was the good coloniser, she said. Well, some of us were, and some of us were not legally permitted to give birth, and some of us were removed and sent away to be shipped off to Denmark.
