Nuuk, Greenland – Even as US President Donald Trump has ruled out seizing Greenland by force, locals in the capital city of Nuuk say they remain anxious and unsettled by his continued interest in acquiring the territory. Despite Trump’s assurance that he will pursue negotiations rather than military action, many Greenlanders view his ambitions as an ongoing threat to their autonomy.
In a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, Trump stated that he would not use force to take control of Greenland, but would instead seek “immediate negotiations” to discuss its acquisition by the United States. This followed his controversial remarks last year suggesting he was interested in purchasing the autonomous Danish territory.
Paarnannguaq Tiitusena, a local business owner in Nuuk, told The Update Desk that Greenlanders are taking Trump’s statements “extremely seriously,” with many feeling uneasy and unable to sleep well due to the uncertainty. “We are very worried; it’s scary,” she said. “We hope it’s just empty threats from Trump’s side.”
The reactions reflect a deep-seated concern among Greenlanders about the prospect of losing control over their homeland, which has a population of around 57,000, the majority of whom are indigenous Inuit. Many feel the territory has already suffered under colonial rule, first by Denmark and now the threat of American intervention.
“We can’t trust anything anyone says at this point,” said 24-year-old Erik Christensen, a fire technician in Nuuk. While younger Greenlanders like Christensen are determined to carry on with their daily lives, older residents appear more anxious about the situation.
Julie Rademacher, chair of the National Organisation for Greenlanders in Denmark, said the “threats from the American president to annex Greenland feel like psychological warfare and are terrorising for many Greenlanders.” She added that some families are even considering moving to Denmark to seek a “safer life.”
Despite the unease, some Greenlanders have taken comfort in the show of international support for their territory. Rademacher noted that many have expressed gratitude for the presence of European forces in Greenland, seeing it as a reassuring deterrent against any potential US aggression.
As the political uncertainty continues, one Nuuk resident, 70-year-old Jens Kjeldsen, has taken to staging a daily one-man protest in front of the US Consulate, quietly resisting Trump’s ambitions by carrying the flags of Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland.