Greenland: Trump’s predatory mood
U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempt to “grab” Greenland constitutes a neo-colonial effort by a global “sheriff” who clearly disregards the island’s national sovereignty and fundamental human rights.
Consequently, demonstrations—the largest in Greenland’s history—took place in the capital Nuuk and Copenhagen, featuring slogans such as “Greenland is not for sale” and “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders,” which highlighted the will for self-determination. Meanwhile, polls show that approximately 85% of Greenlanders reject the prospect of joining the U.S. Greenland’s 34-year-old Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, has, moreover, described the pressure as “disrespectful” and called for an end to threats and rhetoric about annexation “among friends.”
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, stated, “This is a dark chapter we are in,” and clarified that “Denmark cannot negotiate sovereignty, identity, borders, and democracy.”
U.S. President Donald Trump’s subsequent retreat from plans to use military force to occupy Greenland, and the cancellation of additional tariffs on eight European NATO member states that opposed his plans to acquire the island, was remarkable. This is because his aggressive, conquering disposition has not, in essence, diminished at all, while the “rift” in the Euro-Atlantic axis has deepened, testing the cohesion of the Western world.
Let’s examine Greenland’s key data and understand why it is such an important island. Greenland is the largest island on our planet, spanning 2,166,086 square kilometers; Australia, though larger in area, is classified as a continent, not an island. It is currently an autonomous island and a member of the Kingdom of Denmark. Denmark, an ally of the United States and a NATO member, has historically governed Greenland since 1721.
Greenland was a Danish colony until 1953. From that year, it was a county of Denmark. It gained self-governance in 1979, and in 2009, it was granted even greater autonomy, including the right to exploit its natural resources—a move many saw as paving the way for eventual full independence.
King Frederick X of Denmark (since January 14, 2024) serves as the head of state, represented by a high commissioner. The prime minister, elected by Parliament, serves as the head of government. The cabinet, also elected by Parliament (known as Landstinget), is responsible for governance. The 31 members of Parliament are elected by the people through a system of simple proportionality in multi-member constituencies, serving a 4-year term. Anyone aged 18 or over has the right to vote.
The majority of the population (approximately 56,000 people) are Inuit (traditionally known as Eskimos), who intermarried with the first European settlers (primarily of Danish and Norwegian origin) and speak Greenlandic and Danish.
Geographically located in North America, this Arctic island is culturally, demographically, and politically linked to Europe. To its southeast lie the Atlantic Ocean and Iceland; to the east, the Greenland Sea; to the north, the Arctic Ocean; and to the west, Baffin Bay and Canada.
Most of the island—approximately 80% of Greenland’s surface, or 1,700,000 square kilometers—is covered by a massive ice sheet. Only the southwestern and southeastern coastal zones, comprising the remaining 20%, are free of ice. These ice-free, inhabited areas are rugged, characterized by numerous rocks, fjords, and islets. For two months every summer, it experiences the “Midnight Sun” with continuous daylight, while in winter, it undergoes the “Polar Night” with continuous darkness.
Greenland lacks a developed road network connecting its towns and villages. Consequently, transportation relies mainly on sea and air, with airports and heliports located throughout the country. On land, travel is primarily by snowmobile and sled.
The island’s economy, with the Danish krone as its currency and a GDP estimated by the World Bank to be between $3.5 and $4 billion, is primarily based on fishing and fish processing. Fishing accounts for 95% of Greenland’s exports, and fish processing is a major industrial activity. A limited number of residents also engage in farming on the southwestern coast, raising cattle, sheep, and poultry.
Greenland is therefore not wealthy in the conventional sense, especially given that its resources are largely underutilized. Its small economy relies on an annual subsidy of 520 million euros from Denmark—approximately 9,000 euros per inhabitant—to “survive.” This financial dependence is also why many on the island are hesitant to demand immediate independence from Denmark, despite Denmark’s past colonial behavior.
Greenland also possesses deposits of gold, uranium, and coal. Recent research indicates further deposits of oil and natural gas. Its territory also holds substantial deposits of rare earths. According to reliable data, 25 of the 34 minerals classified by the European Commission as “critical raw materials” are found on the island.
The U.S., however, does not see Greenland simply as a repository of raw materials but as an island with strategic value, ensuring access, surveillance, and defense of the North Atlantic and Arctic corridors.
Militarily, the U.S. already maintains the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, near the city of Qaanaaq—one of the northernmost cities in the world. The base hosts early warning radars, integrated into the U.S. missile defense network, and operates as an advanced component of the NORAD system, detecting ballistic missile launches crossing the Arctic.
Denmark, for its part, is continuously strengthening its presence in the region with new warships, drones, and satellite infrastructure.
In closing, I emphasize that only the inhabitants of Greenland are competent to decide on the island’s fate and future. The international community cannot allow the world to devolve into a state where the principles of international law are blatantly violated, rendering them mere “tattered paper” and allowing the law of the jungle—the right of the strong—to prevail. Therefore, every democratically and rationally thinking person cannot help but loudly declare: “Trump, hands off Greenland!”
*Isidoros Karderinis, journalist; foreign press correspondent accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; regular member of the Foreign Press Correspondents’ Association of Greece; novelist, poet, and lyricist. Facebook: Karderinis Isidoros
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