How Greenland truly feels about Trump's threats as reporter interviews residents
Topics: Greenland, Donald Trump
William Morgan
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Joe Raedle
Topics: Greenland, Donald Trump
Threats to annex Greenland have continued to come from the Trump administration this week, with officials increasingly describing the Arctic landmass of roughly 57,000 people as a 'national security priority' for the United States.
President Trump first made the renewed threat in the wake of his abduction of Venezuela's leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, saying that Greenland could be next. This was then doubled-down on Tuesday (January 6), by press secretary Karoline Leavitt who said deploying the military 'is always an option'.
But this imperialist tone from Washington does nothing to acknowledge the opinions of the people who live in Greenland year-round, who have expressed clearly in a number of polls that they do not want to become a US territory.
As much as 85 percent of the island's population rejected the idea in a poll last year, something reflected in current media interviews with people living in Greenland, with one young man telling a Sky News reporter that Trump is a 'bad individual' who treats his people 'like we're small mice'.
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The response from the autonomous Danish territory's politicians has been equally scathing, with PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen telling the US to 'stop the threats' while members of its parliament slam Trump for treating their country as something that could be bought or sold.
Speaking to Sky, Greenland MP Nivi Rosing said her fellow countrymen 'should prepare for the worst and hope for the best', but described Trump's threats as 'crazy nonsense'.
The native Inuit politician added a direct response to the Art of the Deal author, adding: "We are not a business we are a people. we're a people with our own country and culture, language.
"I know Donald Trump is a businessman, but Greenland is not a product. We're a people and should be taken very seriously and that should be respected."
But she also raised one of the threats haunting discussions about Greenland's future, with many fearing that the US could find a flimsy military pretext to activate its numerous old Cold War bases and occupy the island.
"I'm personally afraid that he has to have a reason to take over our country by saying, 'oh, they have Russian and Chinese ships in their waters', which we don't have," Rosing said.
The US could even do this without having to invade the territory. Under a 1951 treaty that was renewed in 2004 with greater reference to Greenland's independence, America could simply reactivate its military bases, so long as there is a perceived threat.
At present, the only US military installation on the island is Pituffik Space Base, formerly Thule Air Base, with just 150 personnel. This is down from a high of 6000 members of the military working on the island during the Cold War.
This renewed agreement also stipulates: "The United States will consult with and inform the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark, including the Home Rule Government of Greenland, prior to the implementation of any significant changes to United States military operations or facilities in Greenland."
But despite Trump's persistent threats against Greenland's sovereignty, many of those speaking to reporters on the island believed the president's belligerence was all bluster.
One woman said: "I think he's very good at making a fuss about things so everybody keeps talking about it just like now. He's very good at that.
"And I think that his purpose to do stuff like that to make people uncomfortable."
The Greenlander added that she does not take Trump's threats seriously as, if he were to invade the NATO territory, she believes that other members of the alliance would 'back us up'.