It’s business as usual now in front of the United States consulate in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk. But just a few days ago, angry Greenlanders were waving flags here to protest US President Donald Trump’s plans to annex the Arctic island.
Since the announcement of a “deal” on the the country’s future on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, there has been a sense of relief, human rights activist and Nuuk resident Najannguaq Christensen told DW. But uncertainty remains.
“ I’m not quite sure that it’s a deal… from our perspective, it’s just Donald Trump being Donald Trump,” he said, adding that while there have been big announcements, little tangible action has followed. Meanwhile, Greenland hasn’t really been involved in the conversation.
Marathon negotiations begin
That is now set to change, however. On Friday afternoon, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen traveled to Greenland “to show our strong support for Greenland’s people at a difficult time.” Frederiksen wants to discuss next steps with the government of the semiautonomous Danish territory.
Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, is glad that the threats of US military intervention are off the table for now, having repeatedly stated that no one has the mandate to negotiate agreements about the country without the involvement of its government.
Frederiksen takes a similar view, but after a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Friday, she emphasized that defense and security in the Arctic are a matter for NATO as a whole. Copenhagen announced that talks with the US would start soon.
What does the ‘deal’ entail?
Activist Christensen said people in Greenland are now waiting for details on what to expect. No clear, publicly available document has been released so far, only different interpretations of the framework agreement announced in Davos.
According to the US, the parties agreed on a permanent safeguard for American interests in the Arctic. This involves military, strategic and economic issues. NATO chief Rutte, on the other hand, has spoken primarily about a security cooperation, making no mention of Denmark or Greenland renouncing their rights.
The current agreement on stationing US forces in Greenland, which dates back to 1951, could be amended. This deal allows the US to use Greenland for military purposes and to operate military facilities within the framework of joint defense. Unlike during the Cold War, when the US was active at over 20 locations in the country at times, today it operates only the Pituffik Space Base on the northwest coast.
Greenland key to Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ plans
Greenland could become even more important for US early warning and interception systems in the future. Trump has repeatedly described the country as crucial to his planned “Golden Dome” missile defense system, though it remains unclear how the island would actually be involved.
Greenland is also important to the US because of its location at the so-called GIUK gap. Whoever controls the bottleneck between Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom can influence access from the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. At a time of growing tensions with Russia, this geopolitical location is becoming important once again.
Economic interests
In addition to security issues, Trump is also thinking in economic terms. Greenland has minerals that are important for the defense and high-tech industries, where the US wants to prevent China from gaining influence.
This is a sensitive issue in Nuuk. Since the beginning of extended self-government in 2009, Greenland has controlled its own mineral resources. Exclusive access or special rights for the US would be seen as an infringement on its sovereignty.
The conflict over Greenland is not only representative of Trump’s political style, but also reflects a larger shift. Climate change is opening up routes and making resources in the Arctic more accessible, forcing the major powers to review their strategies.
Uncertainty remains after deescalation
Christensen said Greenland is ready to cooperate with the US on security, defense and investment — but not on a takeover. Following the Davos announcement, many Greenlanders are relieved that military escalation has been averted, for now.
Even though Trump spoke of a permanent agreement, recent months have shown that the tone in Washington can change at any time. As a result, Christensen said that he senses a great deal of uncertainty on the island.
The political situation in Greenland, which has a population of 56,000, is complicated. Both the ruling and opposition parties are pursuing the long-term goal of independence. But the crisis sparked by Trump’s demands to make it a US territory has put the urgency of this demand into perspective.
According to Christensen, before the escalation, Greenland was in a “decolonial period” in which issues such as justice, reappraisal and greater self-determination had come to the fore. This has changed. Independence is now seen as an even longer-term project, given that the current global situation has increased the need for protection.
Greenland does not have its own armed forces and the concern among many residents is that they will ultimately be excluded from conversation as equal partners, and once again become the object of strategic interests.
“We have already already been colonized once,” Christensen said. “We do not want to be colonized twice.”
This article was originally written in German.
