US President-elect Donald Trump’s recent comments have put Greenland in the global media spotlight, but what do islanders make of his interest?
Qupanuk Olsen is Greenland’s most popular influencer. With more than 500,000 followers on TikTok and 300,000 on Instagram, her cheery videos promote life on the Arctic island by sharing local food, culture, language and traditions.
But in recent weeks, comments under her posts have become far more political. One man is responsible — US President-elect Donald Trump.
Now, Olsen, 39, can’t escape the debate.
“Although I wasn’t worried about the US President-elect’s claims at first, when I saw Donald Trump Jr’s plane flying over the island, I thought ‘OK, this is a bit more real than some void statements’. But we are not for sale, he will not buy us”, Olsen tells Euronews.
On 7 January, Trump reiterated his desire for the US to acquire the autonomous Danish territory for “national security purposes”, and refused to rule out the use of economic embargos or military force to achieve his goal. That same day, his son, Donald Trump Jr. flew to the island, in what he called a “personal day trip”.
Greenland is a hotbed of critical raw materials and rare earths, and analysts say the melting of the Arctic ice presents ever-greater strategic opportunities for trade, energy and transport in a region where geopolitical rivals are tussling for influence.
Greenlanders falsely depicted as MAGA supporters
After Donald Trump Jr’s visit, images of Greenlanders wearing MAGA (Make America Great Again) caps began circulating online. According to local media, they were handed out by Trump’s team to homeless people in exchange for a free meal.
“It hurt me seeing people being used by Trump, many don’t know anything about politics”, Olsen says.
“I had never posted political content before, but with Trump’s recent remarks and the amount of questions I was getting, I felt like I couldn’t escape it,” says the former mining engineer turned content creator.
In a recent video responding to the political debate, Olsen — who backs independence for the island — states “to achieve independence we [Greenland] must establish business connections with countries beyond Denmark”, adding that she hoped Greenlanders would “strengthen connections with Inuits in Canada and Alaska”.
Nearly 90% of Greenland’s population of 57,000 are Inuits, according to a survey by the Minority Rights Group. Organisations such as the Inuit Circumpolar Council founded in 1977 promote and celebrate the unity of 180,000 Inuits from Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Chukotka in Russia’s Far East.
Trump pitting Greenlanders against Denmark?
Olsen — like many other Greenlanders — hopes Trump’s keen interest in Greenland will spur Denmark to appreciate the value of the island.
For Thorsten Borring Olesen, professor of contemporary history at Denmark’s Aarhus University, “the incoming Trump administration is trying to stir up problems because they feel they may more easily have their way with Greenlanders alone than, with the Danes”.
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned Trump that it is up to Greenland to decide its own future.
In a recent interview with Fox News, US Vice President-elect JD Vance said that “Denmark has not done a good enough job at protecting Greenland”, adding that “Donald Trump is good at making deals and I think there is a deal to be made in Greenland”.
Trump began showing interest in buying Greenland during his first presidency and reopened a consulate on the island’s capital of Nuuk in 2020.
Greenland was a Danish colony until 1953, but is now a self-governing territory. In 2009, a self-rule law was passed giving it the right to claim independence with a referendum.
According to a 2019 poll by the universities of Copenhagen and Greenland, just over two-thirds of Greenlanders wanted independence from Denmark within the next two decades.
But in practice, achieving independence will be complex.
Greenland is heavily reliant on Denmark funding of its public services and infrastructure, receiving a block grant of around €576 million from Denmark in 2024 — which represents 53% of the Greenlandic government’s revenue.
‘A love hate relationship’
Greenlander Josepha Lauth Thomsen grew up in Nuuk, but now lives in Denmark permanently — like some 17,000 other Greenlanders. The island is one of 13 Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) associated with the EU due to its ties with member state Denmark. This means that Greenlanders have EU citizenship.
“There’s like a love hate relationship between Greenland and Denmark. Things Danes say about Greenland can be harsh, but hearing someone external to the debate — like Trump — talk about Greenland in that way made me just think ‘wait, what?'”, Thomsen, 37, tells Euronews.
A history of colonisation as well as a list of scandals breed many Greenlanders’ resentment towards Denmark. One such scandal was the forced fitting of contraceptive coils (IUDs) on 4,500 young Inuit women, without their consent or their families, during the 1950s and 1960s. Danish authorities carried out the campaign with the aim of limiting the birth rate in the Arctic territory.
“I just wish we would talk more about the people living here, rather than think of them as something you can just take”, adds Thomsen.
Thomsen works for organisations and charities that raise awareness of the island’s history and promote sustainable tourism. With US carrier United Airlines set to fly direct from Nuuk to New York from July, Thomsen believes Greenland will attract even more tourism after attracting so much press in the wake of Trump’s comments.
However, she also has some concerns. “I am worried Greenland will experience the ‘Iceland effect’. There was an overtourism boom, tourism wasn’t spread across the country, and it didn’t last”, she says.
In addition to sustainable tourism, the issue of sustainable industry is also under consideration. In 2021, Greenland passed a law banning mining uranium as part of its focus on tackling the impacts of climate change.
As a result, one Chinese-linked Australian mining company is reportedly suing Greenland for $11.5 billion (€11.2 billion) over lost revenue.
“Contrary to what people think, Greenland’s economy — asides from fishing — is not that developed”, says Olesen of Aarhus University. Fishing represented roughly 95% of Greenland’s total exports in 2021, valued at €589 million that year, government data shows.
Greenland’s complex history
While Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte B. Egede has condemned Trump’s desire to acquire the island, he stated that Greenland is a part of the North American continent, “a place that the Americans see as part of their world”.
Greenland’s first inhabitants arrived 4,500 years ago, living off hunting and fishing. However, the reason that Greenland is on the European map is down to one individual, Hans Egede, a Danish-Norwegian missionary who arrived there in 1721.
Also known as the Apostle of Greenland, Egede established a colony, forming relationships with Greenlandic Inuit Kalaallit people. When Denmark and Norway separated in 1814, Greenland was transferred to the Danish crown.
During World War Two, Greenland drew increased interest from the US. With Denmark under German occupation, it established military bases in Greenland to guard against Nazi incursions.
The island has since become a highly strategic spot in the North Atlantic, with Russia and China stepping up their military and commercial activities in the Arctic, as well as conducting joint military exercises.
A route to independence?
Greenlander Aaja Chemnitz — who is one of the Greenland’s two MPs sitting in the Danish Parliament — represents the pro-independence InuitAtaqatigiit party.
She believes independence can be achieved, but not in the short term. Chemnitz also recognises the value of US partnerships. “We have everything in place for our country and an interest in getting US investments in rare earth extractions,” she says, while warning that “it’s very important to have a firm and steady hand” when dealing with Trump.
Chemnitz believes that Europe can also play a bigger role in Greenland.
“The EU has an office in Nuuk but it would make sense to get Ursula Von der Leyen to come to Greenland again”, says Chemnitz.
European leaders have strongly condemned Trump’s comments on Greenland, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warning him against threatening “sovereign borders.” Greenland is covered by the North Atlantic Treaty — meaning that an attack on it would compel other NATO allies to defend it. That technically includes the US.
Last March, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen travelled with Denmark’s PM Frederiksen to open an office of the Commission in Nuuk. Greenland has been granted €225 million in EU support for sustainable development, education and green growth sectors for the 2021-2027 period, according to the Commission.
And it’s money that is likely to hold the key to Greenland’s independence push.
“Political parties in Greenland are pro-independence, but what differs between different parties is their timing schedule. If you are really radically pushing for this, then you might think that US money can actually create a quick route to independence”, Olesen says.
