Press Review · Kalaallit Nunaat

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Greenland United but Lonely Against the Colonial Powers

Post widely shared by Greenlanders on social networks to challenge the imperialist and colonial declarations of the United States. © Aka Hansen

Originally published in French in Mediapart. The translation was generated with DeepL.

After the abduction of Nicolas Maduro, President Trump quickly designated the next targets of his imperialist fury. Among these, Greenland, a former US ambition and a constant obsession for Donald Trump. Faced with this new attack, guided by fury as much as a security and mining fantasy, Greenland is once again united in its anti-colonial voice, surrounded by “allies” entangled in the affirmation of an international law with variable geometry.

The desires of President Donald Trump in Greenland have taken credibility in recent days following the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores on 3 January, illustrating a reaffirmation of an imperialist and interventionist aim free from international law. So, will Greenland soon be renamed “Red, White and Blueland” as Trump proposed? Or are there ears ready to hear the aspirations of a territory always under Danish tutelage more quick to rename itself Nunarput (“our country/territory”) or Inuit Nunaat (“the country/territory of the Inuit”)?

Following the intervention in Venezuela, Kate Miller, the wife of the deputy chief of staff of the White House shared a photo of Greenland against a background of the American flag with the caption “SOON” (SOON). Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller himself claimed that Greenland should be part of the United States. The White House would actively develop acquisition plans, including diplomatic, economic and military measures, calling the autonomous territory a “national security priority” and thus reviving an idea long considered rhetorical. This Trumpian obsession goes back to the first administration but gains in acuity following the US intervention in Venezuela, and while the use of the U.S. military “is still an option” according to the White House.

Silent and then conciliatory after the kidnapping of Nicolas Maduro, Emmanuel Macron and six other leaders and heads of government of NATO member countries signed a joint declaration stating that “it is up to Denmark and Greenland, and on their own, to decide the issues concerning Denmark and Greenland.” The foreign ministers of the Nordic countries (Finland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland) also defended the self-determination of Greenland and Denmark, after obviously not finding the right words to condemn the US violations of international law. As the Danish media outlet Altinget points out, the weakening of European positions vis-à-vis international law, makes any position of support for Greenland inaudible: “international law in Ukraine cannot be defended and its collapse in Venezuela or Gaza cannot be accepted. We cannot talk about sovereignty in the Baltic Sea and ignore it in the Caribbean.” This did not prevent the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Friedriksen, to indicate that any military action would mean the end of NATO: “The international community as we know it, the democratic rules of the game, NATO, the most powerful defensive alliance in the world, all this would collapse if one NATO country decided to attack another.”

But Trump does not only play with the nerves of Europeans as François Bougon points out on Mediapart, he also plays and especially with those of Greenlanders, among whom the desire for independence has never been so shared. Naalakkersuisut President Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a statement to Trump that: “This is not how we address a people who have repeatedly shown responsibility, stability and loyalty. Too much, that’s too much. No more pressure. No more insinuations. No more annexation fantasies. We are open to dialogue. We are open to discussion.” In a joint statement, all the Greenlandic parties at the Inatsisartut, the national parliament, showed their unity: “as leaders of the Greenlandic parties, we would like to stress once again our wish to see the loss of respect for our country cease to the United States’ disrespect for our country,” they say. Before repeating a formula that has become a refrain in recent months: “We don’t want to be American, we don’t want to be Danish, we want to be Greenlanders.” A position widely, if not unanimously, shared in the country, as I recalled in a previous post. This weekend, this refrain was taken up during a new demonstration in the capital, Nuuk. While responses to US threats have remained largely rhetorical, Greenland MP Aaja Chemnitz at the Folketing, the Danish parliament, is now calling on Greenland and Denmark to take concrete steps, including military measures, regarding the preparation and protection of Greenland.

Earlier in December, Donald Trump appointed a new special envoy to Greenland, the Republican governor of Louisiana state, Jeff Landry. The latter had written on X that it is an honour for him to assume the mission of integrating Greenland into the United States, while the latter has already been present on the territory since the Second World War and that he has a military base in the north of the territory.

Illustration 1

Assembly widely taken up by Greenlanders on social networks to challenge the imperialist and colonial declarations of the United States. © Aka Hansen

In Greenland nothing new: an old American interest

Greenland’s geostrategic position, located between Europe and North America, attracted the attention of the United States very early on. As early as 1867, President Andrew Johnson proposed a first offer to buy the territory, followed in 1946 by that of Harry Truman, who offered 100 million dollars in Copenhagen (Pouilliute, 2025). Already in 2019, President Donald Trump had revived this ambition, again facing the categorical refusal of the Danish authorities.

The US presence in Greenland materialized during the Second World War. In 1941, a treaty allowed the United States to establish military bases on the territory, while Denmark was occupied by Germany. This treaty was updated by a bilateral agreement in 1951, after Denmark joined NATO. This agreement is still the foundation of the US military presence in the territory. The Pituffik base, built in this context, is the only permanent American base in Greenland. It now plays a key role in the U.S. anti-missile system and in its Arctic maritime defence system.

In contrast to Donald Trump’s statements in recent years, diplomatic and military relations between the United States and Denmark and Greenland have strengthened. In 2020, the United States reopened its consulate in Nuuk, after nearly seven decades of absence. First installed in the Arctic command center of the Danish army, this diplomatic representation symbolized Washington’s renewed interest in the Arctic and for increased dialogue with Greenland. In the same year, a cooperation agreement was signed between the United States, Denmark and Greenland, including the management of the services of the Pituffik base. In 2014, the United States unilaterally awarded the contract to a U.S. company, at the expense of a Danish-Greenlandic company, causing strong local reactions. The 2020 agreement now provides that these contracts will have to be awarded to Greenland companies.

The new bilateral defense agreement signed in December 2023 between Copenhagen and Washington provides for the possibility of parking American soldiers and storing equipment on Danish soil. While it explicitly excludes Greenland and the Faroe Islands, it allows unimpeded access by U.S. forces to several bases in mainland Denmark, including Karup, Skrydstrup and Aalborg. More recently, the United States is currently considering transferring Greenland from the European Command (EUCOM) to the Northern Command (NORTHCOM), which, while symbolic, reinforces the perception of a US strategic repositioning in the region.

In this context of geopolitical recomposition, Denmark announced in January 2025 an investment plan of 14.6 billion Danish kroner (about 1.95 billion euros) to strengthen its military presence in the Arctic and the North Atlantic. The plan, developed jointly with the Greenlandic and Faroese governments, involves the acquisition of three Arctic ships capable of carrying drones and helicopters, the deployment of two long-range surveillance drones, and the strengthening of satellite capabilities and land-based sensors to improve situational awareness and intelligence in the region. However, this agreement is considered to be largely insufficient both to allow a defense that is not only dependent on the United States, but also to take the measure of the Greenlandic will to independence. The latter is based in part on the development of a mining sector, whose revenues would be able to replace the Danish subsidy. The current state of mining development in Greenland, as well as the critical and careful approach of Greenlanders to the development of extractivist infrastructure, makes Trumpian geological ambition sparking.

In the background, the mining fantasy

In 2009, with the entry into force of the Enhanced Autonomy Act, Greenland gained full control of its natural resources, including hydrocarbons and minerals, which were previously within Denmark’s jurisdiction. Since then, resource exploitation has often been promoted by the Greenlandic elites as a potential pillar of economic autonomy, with a view to future independence. Although criticized in the 1980s for its enclave character and negative social impacts, the extractive model was rehabilitated in the 2010s as an instrument of sovereignty (Bailleul, 2023). While in 1988, Greenland had introduced a zero-tolerance policy for uranium mines, in October 2013, the Greenlandic parliament lifted a ban on the extraction of radioactive materials, paving the way for uranium mining by mining companies. The development of the mining sector is now often presented by the authorities as an essential condition for economic independence, a prelude to political independence from the Kingdom of Denmark. The exploitation of these resources would reduce financial dependence on the Danish annual subsidy, which represents about 520 million euros/year, or about 16% of the territory’s GDP. Bailleul (2023) suggests that mining development is part of the construction of an “imagined community”, that is to say in “ideological representations supporting the idea of a homogeneous national people, with common traditions and values, essential for the construction and reproduction of nation-states” (p. 314). The lifting of the ban on the exploitation of uranium mines was instrumental, particularly in the development of the Kuannersuit mining project, led by the Australian company Greenland Minerals and Energy. However, the project was abandoned in 2021 (see a previous post on this subject). The refusal to develop certain mines with high immediate profitability, such as Kuannersuit, nevertheless shows that independence cannot be thought of in purely extractivist terms, and that the construction of such an imagined community is anchored in a long-term vision, ecologically and socially sustainable.

Today, Greenland has 25 of the 34 critical raw materials identified by the EU, attracting international lusts. However, in 2025, only seven mining licenses are active and only two mining operations are in operation in Greenland: the Nalunaq gold mine, near Nanortalik (southwestern Greenland), and the White Mountain /Itilleq anorthosite mine near Kangerlussuaq airport. If the Greenland subsoil attracts increasing attention from Denmark, but also from the European Union, which considers Greenland as a strategic partner, as evidenced by the agreement signed in 2023 as part of its search for autonomy from China, the incomes of mining today represent less than 1% of Greenland’s GDP, and a massive development in the short term is as much politically and economically soudable.

Just yesterday, Donald Trump said he wanted to acquire Greenland, favoring the diplomatic option without resolving himself to give up the option of force. If other scenarios are on the table, such as that of a status of free association with the United States, like what exists with some Pacific island nations, or more far-fetched the payment of 100 000 dollars to those who would accept to join the United States, there is little doubt about the rejection of Greenlanders to adhere to a colonialist and imperialist discourse. On Wednesday, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt will meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. If neither the security of the United States nor the promise of a mining pactole are at stake, the Trumpian desires are certainly explained less by the “psychological necessity” that he evoked than by the red carpet that is unrolled to him. Because the option of weakening international law was chosen by the European continent, at least since the colonial and genocidal war in Gaza, and the “moral fault” renewed by the approval of the intervention in Venezuela, Greenland is now preaching its sovereignty, and that of the oppressed territories, increasingly alone in the North.

Tanguy Sandré

Note: Faced with the growing interest of journalists in the country, and facing both disrespectful and culturally inappropriate solicitations, Aka Hansen, an Inuit artist, has published a guide for journalists who come into contact with Greenland Inuit or on the spot. It is available here.

References

Bailleul, P. (2023). Making nation by the mine? Political history of the mining territories in Greenland. Inuit Studies, 47(1/2), 311–334. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27345308

Pungea, A. (2025). Greenland, a serious subject. National Defence Review, 879(4), 77–82. https://doi.org/10.3917/rdna.879.0077

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From Venezuala to Greenland: Trump Imperialism… December’s Wrap Up

The desires of President Donald Trump in Greenland have taken credibility in recent days following the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife on January 3, illustrating a reaffirmation of an imperialist and interventionist aim freeing himself from international law. Following the intervention in Venezuela, Kate Miller, the wife of the deputy chief of staff of the White House shared a photo of Greenland against a background of the American flag with the caption “soon” (Sermitsiaq, January 4). Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller himself claimed that Greenland should be part of the United States (Sermitsiaq, January 5). The White House would actively develop acquisition plans, including diplomatic, economic and military measures, calling the autonomous territory a “national security priority” and thus reviving an idea long considered rhetorical (High North News, January 7). This Trumpian obsession goes back to the first administration but gains in acuity following the US intervention in Venezuela, and while the use of the U.S. military “is still an option” according to the White House (BBC, January 7). At present, the existing defense agreements already allow the United States to increase its military presence, now limited to about 200 soldiers at the Pituffik base, in the northwest of the territory, which has a ballistic missile detection radar, as well as one of the control centers of the US military satellite network. Silent and then conciliatory after the abduction of Nicolas Maduro, Emmanuel Macron and six other leaders and heads of government of NATO member countries signed a joint declaration affirming that “it is up to Denmark and Greenland, and on their own, to decide on the issues concerning Denmark and Greenland” (SermitsiaqSermitsiaq, January 6). The foreign ministers of the Nordic countries (Finland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland) also defended the self-determination of Greenland and Denmark (Sermitsiaq, 6 January). Altinget underlines the weakening of European positions vis-à-vis international law: “We cannot defend international law in Ukraine and accept its collapse in Venezuela or Gaza. We cannot talk about sovereignty in the Baltic Sea and ignore it in the Caribbean.” (Altinget, January 5). Naalakkersuisut President Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a statement to Trump that: “This is not how we address a people that has repeatedly shown responsibility, stability and loyalty. Too much, that’s too much. No more pressure. No more insinuations. No more annexation fantasies. We are open to dialogue. We are open to discussion.” (SermitsiaqSermitsiaq, January 4). Earlier in December, Donald Trump appointed a new special envoy to Greenland, the Republican governor of Louisiana state, Jeff Landry. The latter had written on X that it is an honour for him to assume the mission of integrating Greenland into the United States, already triggering a new round of condemnation from Danish, Greenlandic and European representatives (Sermitsiaq, 22 December). While responses to US threats have remained largely rhetorical, Greenland MP Aaja Chemnitz (IA) at the Folketing is now calling on Greenland and Denmark to take concrete steps, including military action, on the preparation and protection of Greenland (Sermitsiaq, 5 January). On the technological front, Starlink’s recent refusal to benefit European satellite solutions illustrates the growing politicization of digital infrastructures (Eye on the Arctic, December 10). In addition, on the climate front, the Arctic Report Card reports that the last ten years have been the ten warmest on record in the Arctic, while the Greenland ice sheet has continued to lose hundreds of billions of tonnes of ice (Hign North News, December 17). Finally, earlier this month, the Danish government announced that it had reached an agreement in Parliament to pay individual compensation to Greenlandic women who were victims of a forced birth control campaign (Eye on the Arctic, 10 December).

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Greenland Science Week, Ice Sheets, Indigenous Rights & Arctic Security… November’s Wrap Up

In Greenland, a major scientific conference, the Greenland Science Week, organized by the Arctic Hub, brought together 400 researchers from 20 countries. Several representatives of the new presidency of the Arctic Council—now largely based in Greenland—took part (High North News, 19 November). Greenland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Research, Vivian Motzfeldt, reiterated that research conducted in Greenland must primarily benefit local populations, integrate Indigenous knowledge, and ensure meaningful knowledge returns to the communities concerned (High North News, 13 November).

A new scientific report published ahead of COP30 warns of a rapid and potentially irreversible decline of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, which could lead to sea-level rise far exceeding current estimates. The report cautions that even the +1.5°C target would not be sufficient to prevent major damage and calls for global emissions to be halved by 2030 to limit ice-sheet collapse and its global consequences (Eye on the Arctic, 13 November).

At COP, the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) also denounced the interchangeable use of the terms “local communities” and “Indigenous peoples,” a practice which, according to the organization, obscures the specific rights of Indigenous peoples (Eye on the Arctic, 19 November). The ICC is also calling for direct access to funding, the integration of Indigenous knowledge, and a just energy transition (Eye on the Arctic, 13 November).

At the national level, former Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte B. Egede accused Denmark of having committed a “genocide” during the so-called spiral campaign of the 1960s–1970s, sparking controversy. He received the backing of his successor, Jens-Frederik Nielsen (Sermitsiaq, 21 November), despite a now-withdrawn threat of legal action (Sermitsiaq, 23 November) by former Danish minister Tom Høyen, who disputes the accusations.

At the European Parliament, a network of regionalist, separatist, and minority-focused parties across Europe invited two Faroese politicians and former Siumut party secretary in Greenland, Ole Aggo Markussen, to exchange views and expand their network. The group brings together Scottish, Catalan, Basque, Corsican, Flemish, and also Kanak independence movements (Altinget, 24 November).

Also at the European Parliament, a new resolution on the Arctic was adopted, warning against growing militarization and stressing the need for cooperation with Nordic partners, notably Norway. The text highlights the importance of the High North for Europe’s security, energy, connectivity, and geopolitical stability, placing the Arctic at the core of the EU’s diplomatic and security priorities (High North News, 1 December).

Finally, earlier this month, the new US ambassador to Denmark—co-founder of PayPal and a long-time friend of Elon Musk—took up his post in Copenhagen, identifying defense cooperation, trade ties, and Arctic security as priorities (Eye on the Arctic, 5 November). He nevertheless remained evasive about Trump’s ambitions, refusing to rule out past proposals by Donald Trump regarding US sovereignty over Greenland (DR, 18 November). In early December, representatives from Greenland, Denmark, and the United States are set to meet in Greenland to resume official trilateral talks (Sermitsiaq, 26 November).

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Inuit Women’s Summit, Minerals, Submarine Cables & Satellites… October’s Wrap Up

In Greenland, while Denmark has apologized and is preparing a compensation plan for women and girls who were victims of the forced sterilization program until 1991 (Sermitsiaq, October 22), the Inuit Circumpolar Council is organizing the first Inuit Women’s Summit in Sisimiut at the end of October. Its president, Sara Olvig, emphasized: “We are all deeply affected by the colonial policies that targeted Inuit women and girls.” More broadly, the Summit will focus on three themes: the rights and roles of Inuit women, the prevention of violence and the improvement of safety, and capacity building through culture (Eye on the Arctic, October 21). In early October, Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg. He emphasized the importance of the partnership with the EU and the potential for increased cooperation in areas such as critical raw materials and renewable energy (High North News, October 9). The Danish Export and Investment Fund (EIFO) announced a loan of 39 million kroner to the mining company Green Roc, which is working to reopen the Amitsq graphite mine in southern Greenland, last operated between 1915 and 1922 (Sermitsiaq, October 22). Also in the south, following the abandonment of the Kuannersuit mining project, the dispute between the Greenlandic government and Australian mining company Energy Transition Minerals has just been settled by an arbitration tribunal in favor of the Greenlandic government. The dispute had also been brought by the Australian company before the High Court of Greenland and the Copenhagen Court, which have not yet issued their verdicts (DR, October 29). On the defense front, as part of their efforts to strengthen their presence in the Arctic, Denmark and Greenland have agreed to build a dedicated naval dock in Nuuk (Eye on the Arctic, October 14). Also in this context, a new submarine cable worth 3 billion kroner is included in a new defense agreement, which will complement the two existing cables and Greenland’s infrastructure, which is considered highly vulnerable (Sermitsiaq, October 10). In addition, Tusass, Greenland’s autonomous telecommunications company, has signed an agreement with the French company Eutelsat to provide better internet access in regions without submarine cables, namely Tasiilaq and Ittoqqortoormiit in the east and Qaanaaq in the north. While the territory is considering liberalizing the telecommunications market, the importance of Greenland’s critical infrastructure being controlled by Greenland itself was recently reaffirmed, and a partnership with Starlink, which had been rumored, was ruled out (DR, October 20).


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1.6 billion for Greenland, UID’s Apologises & Arctic Light 2025… September’s Wrap Up

Mid-September, Greenland and Denmark signed a framework agreement for infrastructure development in Greenland. Over the next four years, the Danish government will allocate DKK 1.6 billion to initiatives and investments in Greenland, including ports, airports, and healthcare. In particular, the agreement provides for Denmark to finance the construction of a new regional runway in Ittoqqortoormiit, the northernmost town on the east coast, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in early September (Sermitsiaq, September 21). The construction of a deep-water port in Qaqortoq, in the south of the country, is also planned (High North News, September 17). Also in mid-September, the Danish Social Appeals Commission overturned the decision of the Children and Youth Committee to forcibly remove Ivana Nikoline Brønlund’s daughter at birth (Sermitsiaq, September 22). While discrimination against Greenlanders has persisted in recent years (DR, September 25), the issue of historical reparations has also been in the news: on September 24, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen issued an official apology in Nuuk to Greenlandic women who were victims of forced contraception campaigns between 1966 and 1991 (Sermitsiaq, September 24). This long-awaited gesture is part of a process of recognition of colonial violence and reconciliation. On the security front, Denmark led the Arctic Light 2025 military exercise from September 9 to 19, bringing together more than 550 soldiers from five European countries for joint maneuvers on Greenlandic territory (DR, September 14). The exercise aimed to increase collective preparedness in the Arctic, against a backdrop of growing tensions with the United States and concerns about Russian activity. Finally, the Greenlandic parliament is considering further increasing the tax on cruise ships (currently 50 kroner per passenger, compared to 525 in 2008) in order to curb the growth of cruise tourism and derive greater benefit from it (Sermitsiaq, September 30).

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French Consulate, Economic Crisis, Eastern Independence & Protest in Nuuk… Summer’s Wrap Up

Following President Macron’s visit to Greenland last June, the French ambassador to Denmark, Christophe Parisot, is considering opening a French consulate general in Nuuk in 2026, following in the footsteps of the European Union (Sermitsiaq, August 13). In July, as part of the Danish presidency of the EU Council, a delegation of European ambassadors and senior officials visited Ilulissat and Nuuk to strengthen cooperation with Greenland on climate, security, and raw materials issues (Sermitsiaq, July 31). Meanwhile, in an interview with Reuters, the head of the Arctic Command said that Greenland is not that difficult to defend, and that its defense is under control (Sermitsiaq, June 27). That being said, Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen has affirmed his commitment to increasing the Danish military presence in Greenland through the construction of a new headquarters for the Arctic Command, as well as the creation of a Greenlandic military unit under the Arctic Command, as part of the Arctic Basic Training, which is located in Kangerlussuaq (DR & DR, August 18). While in Nuuk, he met with Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt and German Deputy Defence Minister Dr. Nils Schmid to work on strengthening cooperation between the three countries in light of developments in security policy. On this occasion, the German supply ship “Berlin” docked in Nuuk (Sermitsiaq, August 18). At the national level, for the former prime minister, and now Minister of Finance, Múte B. Egede, “Greenland is entering an economic crisis,” predicting budget cuts of 864 million kroner over the next four years, notably through a reform of the pension system (Altinget, August 19). The minister attributes, in part, the current economic difficulties in Greenland to the lack of manpower and the weakening of Greenland’s development potential resulting from the campaign of forced sterilization of Greenlandic women and girls in the 1960s (DR, August 19). In this regard, the investigation, which is to reveal the consequences of forced sterilizations and contraception cases from the 1960s to the present day, is running behind schedule and is not expected to be published before the end of January 2026 (Sermitsiaq, June 28). While Greenlandic independence has occupied a central place in recent debates, a new party has just been created in Tasiilaq to defend this time the independence of the eastern part of Greenland (Party for an Independent Eastern Greenland, PSØ.G.). On May 18, a large demonstration took place in Tasiilaq against politicians from the west coast. Anette Nicolaisen, one of the party’s founders, summarized: “We absolutely cannot bear that West Greenland says: ‘Denmark, you are not listening to us, Denmark, you are doing all these things against us,’ and when we then say, you are doing exactly the same thing to us, nobody does anything” (DR, August 2). In Denmark, Ivana Nikoline Brønlund, 18, from Greenland, has just had her child forcibly taken from her at birth by the municipality of Høje-Taastrup. While the removal of Greenlandic children from their families has been the subject of widespread controversy since last year, and the Danish government has finally decided to end the controversial FKU psychological test and create a special unit (VISO), protests have taken place in Nuuk (Sermitsiaq, August 13). It appears that the municipality of Høje-Taastrup has not complied with the new legislation (Sermitsiaq, August 16). Today, several dozen cases are being re-evaluated in light of criticism of institutionalized discrimination through FKU tests (DR, August 10).



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Macron in Nuuk, Cooperation within the Kingdom & Near-Ittoqqortoormiit Mining License… June’s Wrap-up

On a visit to Greenland ahead of the G7 in Kananaskis, Canada, the French President met with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen during a visit to Nuuk. Emmanuel Macron affirmed his support for Greenland and announced that France is ready to strengthen its commitment to the Arctic through joint exercises and economic and social partnerships (High North News, June 16). He also announced the opening of a French consulate general in Nuuk, while a European representation was inaugurated in March (Sermitsiaq, June 15). At the end of May, the heads of government of the eight Nordic countries met in Finland. While Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Åland had been repeatedly excluded in recent months, the eight Nordic countries committed to including them in future Nordic ministerial meetings and to strengthening cooperation on civil preparedness and resilience (High North News, May 30). In mid-June, the heads of government of the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Denmark convened for their biannual meeting in the Faroese capital, Tórshavn. Beyond increased pressures in the Arctic, the Faroe Islands and Greenland have engaged in dialogue for greater autonomy in foreign affairs, while the Danish prime minister has called for a “modernization of the Kingdom” and greater investment in Greenland (High North News, June 18; Eye on the Arctic, June 17). “We have made it clear that if Greenland wants to amend the Self-Government Act, including ensuring better economic frameworks for Greenland in relation to mineral extraction, we are ready to conclude this agreement on the Danish side,” said Mette Frederiksen (Sermitsiaq, June 17). The head of defense attended this biannual meeting for the first time (Altinget, June 18). In coordination with the Greenlandic government, the Danish armed forces will increase their presence in Greenland this summer, with a frigate and two helicopters now in place to strengthen military operations in the Arctic (High North News, June 11). At the same time, the Danish Parliament approved the installation of US military bases on Danish soil (Eye on the Arctic, June 12). Furthermore, at the NATO summit in The Hague, where the Greenlandic government wanted to meet with their US counterparts (Sermitsiaq, June 23), Denmark formally entered into a partnership with Canada, Germany, and Norway on maritime security and military cooperation in the North Atlantic (Sermitsiaq, June 25). Also in June, Greenland granted a 30-year permit to a European Union-backed project to mine molybdenum, a critical metal used in aerospace, energy, and defense, on which China has imposed export controls. The permit was granted to Greenland Resources, a Toronto-listed company backed by the European Raw Materials Alliance, which holds the license for the Malmbjerg project near Ittoqqortoormiit, the northernmost town on the east coast. The open-pit mine could supply about 25% of Europe’s molybdenum consumption (Sermitsiaq, June 19;  Eye on the Arctic , June 19). Regionally, the Kingdom of Denmark held its first session of the Arctic Council; “Engagement with indigenous peoples, focused on promoting knowledge sharing, is a cross-cutting priority for the Kingdom of Denmark,” said Kenneth Høegh, the Greenlandic SAO representing the Kingdom of Denmark (Eye on the Arctic, June 17). Finally, in Denmark, a new organization called Uagut (“us” in Greenlandic) was founded by Greenlanders in Denmark. This organization aims to give a voice to the approximately 17,000 Greenlanders living in Denmark and to combat discrimination against them (Sermitsiaq, June 22).

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Arctic Council, US Intelligency, Protest for Eastern citizens… May’s Wrap-Up

On May 12, Greenland assumed the leadership of the Arctic Council on behalf of the Kingdom of Denmark. After a long power struggle between Nuuk and Copenhagen, Vivian Motzfeldt, Greenland’s foreign minister, took over the chairmanship of the Council after two years of Norwegian presidency marked by a desire to foster regional cooperation. “I must say that I think it is entirely appropriate that Greenland takes this on behalf of the Kingdom, as this is the Arctic part of the Kingdom of Denmark,” the Norwegian foreign minister said at the handover session in Tromsø (Altinget , May 13; Sermitsiaq, May 18). Ahead of the handover, the 14th meeting of the Arctic Council was held virtually. The eight member states of the Council and its six permanent participating organizations agreed on a joint statement, which reiterates the commitment to maintaining peace, stability and cooperation in the Arctic, and to maintaining the Arctic Council as the main tool for this commitment (High North News, May 13). The Kingdom of Denmark, whose Senior Arctic Official (SAO) will be Greenlandic Arctic Ambassador Kenneth Høegh, presented the roadmap for its presidency (2025-2027) which is divided into five themes: indigenous peoples and Arctic societies, sustainable economic development and energy transition, ocean, climate change in the Arctic and biodiversity (Sermitsiaq, May 12). In addition, Vivian Motzfeldt met with the EU’s foreign and security policy chief, Kaja Kallas. The raw materials sector was highlighted as an important area for developing cooperation, with Vivian Motzfeldt stressing that “in these difficult times Greenland is facing, it is important to approach reliable partners who share the same values” (Sermitsiaq, 18 May). The foreign minister also met with her French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot, stating that “France was one of the first countries to significantly express its support for the Greenlandic population” (Sermitsiaq, 21 May); in January, Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed that France was at Denmark’s disposal if it requested support (Sermitsiaq, 22 May). While the Danish-American defense agreement providing for the possibility of stationing American soldiers on Danish soil at the Karup, Skrydstrup and Aalborg bases was discussed in the Folketing (Sermitsiaq, May 15), Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, like the Greenlandic Prime Minister, deemed “unacceptable” the United States’ desire to intensify its espionage activities in Greenland and Denmark, revealed by the Wall Street Journal (Wall Street Journal, May 6; Sermitsiaq, May 8; Sermitsiaq, May 15). The Pentagon is also considering transferring Greenland from the United States European Command (EUCOM) to the United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM). Beyond this unilateral and partly symbolic measure, the White House is also studying the possibility of offering Greenland a zone of free association with the United States, a status hitherto reserved for small island nations in the Pacific Ocean, notably the Marshall Islands and Micronesia (Reuters , May 9). In early May, Nordic defense ministers signed a revised memorandum of understanding on cooperation at a meeting in Rovaniemi. The new version incorporates the significant development of NORDEFCO (Nordic Defense Cooperation) in recent years, particularly following Russia’s war against Ukraine and Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to NATO (High North News, May 12). Regionally, while Greenlandic authorities have repeatedly protested their underrepresentation in regional governance forums, Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen participated in the Nordic ministerial meeting (Sermitsiaq, May 26). Finally, demonstrations took place in Tasiilaq and Nuuk to denounce the plight of residents of the country’s east coast who face chronic underinvestment, political marginalization and numerous stigmatizations (Sermitsiaq, May 15; Sermitsiaq, May 22; Sermitsiaq, May 22). 

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New Government, Visit of King Frederik X, Power Outage from Spain to Kalaallit Nunaat… April’s Wrap-Up

On April 7, the Inatsisartut, the Greenlandic parliament, officially swore in 33-year-old Jens-Frederik Nielsen as prime minister, leading a coalition that includes Demokraatit, Inuit Ataqatigiit, Siumut, and Atassut, excluding Naleraq, which advocates for faster independence. This broad coalition, which represents 75% of the vote, pledges to strengthen infrastructure, particularly on the east coast, improve the health system, and move toward independence, while deferring discussions on controversial issues such as taxation and the exploitation of natural resources to later agreements (KNR, April 7). Earlier, even before the inauguration of the new prime minister, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen visited Greenland to strengthen relations between the Danish and Greenlandic governments, after the United States significantly escalated its rhetoric regarding the country’s desire to take control of Greenland (DR, April 3; High North News, April 9). In this regard, following J.D. Vance at Pittufik in late March, Susannah Meyers, commander of the US space station, was fired due to a “lack of confidence in her ability to lead” following a critical email to the vice president (DR, April 11). Regionally, while Greenland suspended its participation in the Nordic Council last year, the Nordic governments are now considering granting full membership status to Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Åland (Sermitsiaq, April 22). That said, like the former prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen remains skeptical about the short-term possibility of seeing Greenland acquire an expanded role within the Council (Sermitsiaq, April 23). The latter also paid a visit to Copenhagen to strengthen relations with Denmark, stating that Greenland would never be for sale and criticizing disrespectful statements from the United States. Following his meeting with Mette Frederiksen, the latter indicated that Denmark was ready to renegotiate the autonomy agreement and also wishes to invest more in Greenland, while the possibility of a reconciliation commission was put forward (Sermitsiaq, April 27). Also in response to American ambitions, King Frederik X of Denmark visited Greenland at the end of April to reaffirm the historical ties between Denmark and his autonomous territory (Eye on the Arctic, April 29). Despite calls for independence and recent tensions, the king enjoys widespread popularity within the autonomous territory, which he knows well and visited several times before his inauguration (DR, April 29). In Copenhagen, the Danish parliament adopted the bill that puts an end to the use by municipalities of psychological tests (FKU) deemed discriminatory against Greenlandic families (Sermitsiaq, April 25). However, earlier in the month, the appeal of Keira Alexandra Kronvold, the Greenlandic mother who had brought these psychological tests to light, was rejected (Sermitsiaq, April 16). At the end of the month, following the massive power outage in Spain, telecommunications services were interrupted for a few hours in isolated communities in Greenland (Sermitsiaq, April 29). Since 2023, the ground station in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, has played a central role in sending data to satellites that supply the communities of Qaanaaq and surrounding areas, Ittoqqortoormiit and Tasiilaq (Sermitsiaq, April 30). Furthermore, Greenland’s health system remains particularly vulnerable due to staff shortages, which led to the closure of two maternity wards in Qaqortoq and Sisimiut this month (Sermitsiaq , April 16). Finally, on the climate front, 2024 was the third warmest year ever recorded in the Arctic (Sermitsiaq, April 23). 



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National and Municipal Elections, Protests Against Trump, JD Vance… March’s Wrap-Up


More than 28,000 Greenlanders voted in the March 11 elections to the Inatsisartut, the national parliament, with a turnout of 70.9% (+5 points compared with 2021). A total of six parties competed for the 31 seats in parliament. The social-liberal Demokraatit party (29.9%, 10 seats) (+20.9) came out on top, while the pro-independence Naleraq party won 24.5% of the vote (8 seats) (+12.5). The outgoing coalition of Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) (15.3%, 7 seats) (-15.3) and Siumut (14.7%, 4 seats) (-14.7) was largely rejected by voters. For its part, Atassut, the only “unionist” party, won 2 seats (7.3% of the vote) (+0.4). Only Qulleq (1.1%), a newly-formed pro-mining, pro-oil extraction party complacent towards Donald Trump, failed to win a seat. The formation of the future government was entrusted to Demokraatit, and its leader Jens Frederik Nielsen, who brought together a broad coalition of all the parties sitting in parliament, with the exception of Naleraq. This coalition agreement, which covers the consolidation of an independence plan, the strengthening of transport, particularly on the east coast, and health, also proposes to defer the most divisive issues, particularly around taxation, raw materials and fisheries, to later agreements (KNR, March 28). On the foreign affairs front, Jens Frederik Nielsen clearly stated the government’s intention to turn its back on Denmark until it can become an independent country (Sermitsiaq, April 1), while he asserted: “Greenland will never be part of the United States. We want to trade. We want a strong national security partnership, of course, but with mutual respect. We will never be for sale and we will never be American” (Reuters, April 1). Parliament will meet on April 7 to approve the coalition agreement, which demonstrates a strong desire for unity in the face of recent external pressure (Sermitsiaq, March 28). Following the coalition agreement, Danish Prime Minister Mette Friederiksen began a three-day visit on April 2, during which she will meet the future Prime Minister (KNR, April 2). This visit has caused a stir within the coalition due to its timing, as the new government has not yet been approved by parliament (KNR, March 31). Earlier, on March 15, a historic demonstration took to the streets of Nuuk, the capital, as well as Sisimiut, the country’s second-largest city, and Qaanaaq, in the north-west of the country, not far from the US military base at Pituffik (formerly Thule) (Sermitsiaq, March 15). A demonstration where numerous signs addressed Trump: “No Means No!” [No means No!], “We Are Not For Sale!” [or “Make America Go Away!” [or “Make America Go Away!] A demonstration described as massive in a country of 57,000 inhabitants, during which many Greenlandic flags were waved by the demonstrators. The demonstration followed Donald Trump’s speech to Congress, in which he reiterated for the umpteenth time since his inauguration that the United States would take control of Greenland “one way or another”, making it clear that he had no intention of letting the autonomous Danish territory down (High North News, March 5). A demonstration with similar slogans also took place on March 31, in front of the American Embassy in Copenhagen (KNR, March 31). This followed on directly from the visit of a US delegation, comprising JD Vance’s wife Usha Vance, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee, without an official invitation, which further strained diplomatic relations with the USA (KNR, March 28). Although the delegation only visited the US base at Pituffik, and not Nuuk and Sisimiut, Vice President JD Vance joined the delegation at the last minute from March 27 to 29. At a press conference, he declared that Denmark had not “done a good job” for the people of Greenland, nor had it done enough to ensure Greenland’s security (Sermitsiaq , April 1; The Guardian, March 31). Finally, elections for the country’s five municipalities were held on April 1. Siumut, which had largely lost the parliamentary elections, came out on top, while IA lost ground and Demokraatit benefited from the momentum of the parliamentary elections (Sermitsiaq, April 2). The election, which was marked by a feminization of political life (Altinget, April 2), also gave voice to issues that the legislative elections had neglected: the desire for decentralization, education issues and care for the elderly (KNR, April 1).