Greenlanders have rejected the idea of joining the US, despite Donald Trump’s insistence that the US could provide the island with “freedom”.
A new poll shows that an overwhelming 85% of Greenlanders do not want the island to become part of the US, despite US President Donald Trump’s push to take control of the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Trump has ramped up calls to take the world’s largest island, rich in natural resources and home to a US space facility.
“I think we are going to have it,” Trump said on Saturday, insisting the island’s 57,000 residents “want to be with us”.
However, a poll by research company Verian for newspaper Sermitsiaq in Greenland and Danish media outlet Berlingske shows only 6% of residents want to join the US, with 9% undecided.
The poll comes as Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen met with various NATO allies on Tuesday in an attempt to shore up a united European front in the face of Trump’s increasingly expansionist rhetoric.
After a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Frederiksen said, “I want to make sure Europe stands together, not only in connection with the kingdom of Denmark but also more broadly.”
Scholz gave a more pointed message, telling reporters when asked about Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine that “borders must not be moved by force” before switching to English and adding: “to whom it may concern.”
Despite being partly controlled by Denmark, Greenland is not part of the European Union’s 27-member bloc. Still, it has a special status with access to EU funds and freedom of movement for Greenlanders, who are legally considered EU citizens.
Moreover, Greenland is covered by the mutual defence clause laid out by EU treaties — meaning all European member states would be obligated to provide “aid and assistance” if another member state fell “victim of armed aggression on its territory.”
Trump has refused to rule out using military force to take control of the island, despite Denmark insisting the territory was not for sale.
He doubled down on his threats during a fiery phone call with Frederiksen earlier this month, in which he reportedly threatened Denmark with targeted tariffs.
Frederiksen did not mention Trump or Greenland by name during her whistle-stop tour of Europe. However she emphasised that Europe should increase its defence capabilities to become stronger in its own right.
“We have to take more responsibility for our own security,” the Danish leader said.
Denmark has brought out a raft of measures in the past few days targeting Greenlanders and the island, including a $4.9 million (€4.7 million) action plan to fight racism and discrimination against Greenlanders in the country.
The Nordic nation also announced it would spend €1.95 billion to boost its defence capabilities in the Arctic and North Atlantic region, including three new Arctic ships, two additional long-range surveillance drones, and improved satellite capacity.
