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“The people of Greenland do not want to become American,” Mia Chemnitz told the BBC. “We are not for sale.”
The 32-year-old business owner, residing in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, echoed sentiments shared by many residents who spoke with the BBC regarding recent statements from the Trump administration.
The White House has confirmed “active” discussions regarding a potential offer to purchase the territory, which has been under Danish sovereignty for centuries. Earlier remarks from US President Donald Trump and his officials had alluded to a willingness to acquire it by force, if necessary.
These pronouncements have been met with apprehension and disapproval among Greenlanders, both within the island territory and abroad.
This unease has grown following the unprecedented military action of the US in taking Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro from his residence in Caracas to New York on drug-trafficking and narco-terrorism charges.
Shortly thereafter, a spouse of a senior White House staffer suggested that Greenland was the next target.
“That’s when it stopped feeling abstract,” stated Tupaarnaq Kopeck, 40, who relocated to Canada—another nation previously threatened with annexation by Trump—for professional and familial reasons.
“For the first time, I contacted my sister in Greenland and told her that if the unthinkable ever became reality, they would have a place to stay with us.”
Aaja Chemnitz, one of two Members of Parliament representing Greenland in the Danish legislature, described the Trump administration’s comments as “a clear threat” and expressed her “appalled” reaction.
“It’s completely disrespectful from the US side to not rule out annexing our country and to annex another Nato ally,” she stated.
Greenland is the world’s most sparsely populated territory. The majority of its residents reside in Nuuk and along the southwestern coastline, with much of the Arctic island covered in ice.
The territory holds strategic significance for the US, which has maintained a military presence there since World War II.
Greenland’s geographical location between North America and the Arctic makes it well-suited for early warning systems against potential missile attacks.
Increased interest has also emerged regarding Greenland’s natural resources, including rare earth minerals that are becoming more accessible due to climate change and the subsequent melting of ice.
“It’s not fun being 56,000 people and having these threats – if you can call them that – from a giant like the US,” said Masaana Egede, editor of the Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq.
“The citizens of Greenland are nervous about this, because this is not something that we take lightly.”
Experts generally agree that a military takeover of Greenland would be an easy undertaking for the US – but that the geopolitical fallout would effectively end the Nato alliance.
Following the White House’s renewed raising of Greenland’s ownership, six European allies issued a statement affirming that the territory’s future should be determined by its people, an act for which Mia expressed her gratitude.
However, she expressed concern that this support may hold little weight for the US “if it’s not backed with consequences and actions.”
“As a Greenlander, I can’t help but wonder: what are we worth to these allies? To what lengths are they willing to go to protect us?”
Tupaarnaq stated: “Respect is about more than alliances on paper. When powerful nations talk about you instead of with you, that respect disappears very quickly.”
The Trump administration has emphasized that its intention was to purchase Greenland from Denmark—despite Copenhagen’s reiteration that the territory was not for sale—while maintaining military intervention as a potential option.
Aaja views annexation by force as unlikely, suggesting that “what we are going to see is that they will put pressure on us in order to make sure that they will take over Greenland over time.”
Polling data consistently indicates that Greenlanders generally support eventual independence from Denmark, but are opposed to being owned by the US. The territory maintains significant self-governance, with Copenhagen retaining control over foreign affairs and defense.
This might explain why Aleqatsiaq Peary, a 42-year-old Inuit hunter from the remote northern town of Qaanaaq, seemed unfazed by the prospect of US ownership.
“It would be switching from one master to another, from one occupier to another,” he stated. “We are a colony under Denmark. We are already losing a lot from being under the Danish government.”
He added, “I don’t have time for Trump. Our people are in need,” explaining that hunters like himself rely on dog sleds on the sea ice and fishing for sustenance, “but the sea ice is melting and hunters cannot make a living anymore.”
For Sermitsiaq editor Masaana, the rhetoric emanating from the US is creating a false binary choice.
“We really have to try to avoid getting the story going to a place where it’s Greenland that has to decide between the US and Denmark, because that is not the choice that the Greenlandic people want.”
For others who see the strong relationship Greenland already has with the US being soured, there is a clear sense of indignation.
“People in Greenland are getting really irritated with this,” said Christian Keldsen of the Greenland Business Association.
“Greenlanders are welcoming and open-hearted, it’s the best thing about the country. But now with this, some people are scared.”
Greenland is open for business with the US, Christian stressed, noting the new direct flights from Greenland to New York, which serve as a clear signal that “they don’t need to take us over.”
“We are a well-functioning democracy and our government has a strong mandate,” Mia affirmed. “We are a Nato ally and the US has had military bases in Greenland for over 70 years – and still has the right to establish and run new and more.
“As it has been stated from Greenland before: we are not for sale, but we’re open for business.”
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