The stark reality of Greenland's remote beauty and independent spirit makes the notion of its forced acquisition by the United States seem not just unlikely, but fundamentally absurd. This is the prevailing view on the ground, as confidence expressed by officials in Donald Trump's administration about securing the territory "one way or another" by the end of his term meets fierce local resistance.
Local Fear and Geopolitical Bluster
For the people of Greenland, the repeated threats from the former and potentially future US president are no laughing matter. MP Nivi Rosing, a member of Greenland's ruling coalition, expressed a widespread fear that Trump's unfounded claims about Russian and Chinese ships infesting Greenlandic waters could be used as a pretext for takeover. "This is crazy nonsense," she stated, highlighting the complete lack of evidence for such an armada.
Some analysts, like former UK ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson, suggest this is mere Trumpian strategy. In a piece for The Spectator, he argued the threats are a ruse to galvanise Western allies into accepting a larger US military footprint in the Arctic for shared security. However, for Greenlanders facing these pronounceations, such theories offer little comfort. If improving Arctic security is the goal, they argue, Trump is pursuing a profoundly strange method.
A Deeply Offensive Proposition
The proposition is particularly galling for Denmark, which has governed Greenland for centuries. The suggestion that Denmark is not pulling its weight in security matters is deeply offensive to veterans like Klaus Iversen, who served with the Danish military in Greenland and lost colleagues in Afghanistan and Iraq supporting American efforts. "I feel offended, I feel sad," Iversen said, reflecting a sense of betrayal.
Politically, the US would not need to stage an invasion. A 1951 defence treaty with Denmark already allows Washington to reopen and expand its old World War Two-era bases on the island. The threat of annexation, therefore, appears unnecessarily hyperbolic, leaning into what critics see as Trump's baser instincts for territorial expansion and personal glory.
Greenland's Calculated Loyalties
Despite historical resentments over Danish management of mineral wealth and infrastructure investment, Greenlanders are acutely aware of what their current status provides. The connection to Europe brings free education, free healthcare, cultural ties, and around $500m (£370m) in annual financial aid from Copenhagen.
Recent polls and the 2025 election indicate no appetite for trading this stable support for an uncertain future under US control. The value of their European link, for all its imperfections, is currently deemed far greater than the risks of American acquisition. As one official pointedly noted, Trump's team, confident of success, might have benefited from speaking to Greenland's people first. Their message is clear: the island is not for sale or seizure.
