By Janna Kadri |
Jan 28, 2026
Former Greenlandic lawmaker and deputy chairwoman of the Cooperation Party, Tillie Martinussen, says US President Donald Trump’s rhetoric and threats toward Greenland have deeply alienated the island’s Indigenous population and reshaped public opinion in the opposite direction Washington may have intended, strengthening support for remaining within the Kingdom of Denmark.
Her remarks come as diplomatic activity around Greenland has intensified across Europe and the Arctic. In recent weeks, Danish and Greenlandic leaders have sought to reinforce international backing for Greenland’s autonomy through high-level engagements with European capitals, while European governments and allies have publicly reiterated that Greenland’s future can only be decided by Greenlanders themselves. These moves follow renewed controversy sparked by Trump’s comments and a vague proposal floated in international forums for expanded US-linked security arrangements in the Arctic, which Copenhagen has rejected if they undermine sovereignty.
Speaking to Al Mayadeen English, Martinussen said global coverage has frequently misframed Greenland’s political reality, particularly the assumption that Trump’s pressure would accelerate independence or draw Greenland closer to the United States.
“Of course Greenlanders want to be our own people and, eventually, our own country; and in many ways, we already are,” she said. “What deeply angered people was Donald Trump saying Greenland is not even land, just a piece of ice. That was extremely degrading to the Indigenous people here.”
Trump rhetoric reshapes Greenlandic opinion
According to Martinussen, Trump’s remarks have triggered a backlash that is likely to influence upcoming elections.
“As things stand now, Donald Trump has shaped Greenlandic public opinion in the opposite direction,” she said. “The majority may now lean toward closer ties within the Kingdom of Denmark, and I believe we will see this reflected in our next election.”
While independence remains a long-term aspiration for many Greenlanders, she stressed that most recognise the current limits imposed by economic and security realities.
“Greenland is a very democratic country, and people have realised independence is not currently in the cards,” she said. “We need close allies. We need a stronger economy. And we have no military of our own.”
Long-standing security framework
Martinussen pointed to decades-old defense agreements between Greenland, Denmark and the United States, dating back to 1951 and later amended in 1996 and 2004, which allow Washington to maintain and upgrade military facilities on the island.
“The US already had 17 bases in Greenland in the past,” she said, noting that only one major base remains today. “If the United States wanted to expand its presence for security reasons, it could have done so long ago, or simply asked.”
Instead, she said, Trump’s statements marked a stark shift from diplomatic norms.
“Now we are hearing threats to take over Greenland, even by military force,” she said. “And we are not having that.”
Denmark, Europe and NATO, without Washington
Martinussen said Greenland has received strong political and military backing from Denmark, European states, European Union, Canada, and NATO, while trust in Washington has eroded under Trump’s leadership.
“These countries are coordinating closely with Greenland and Denmark. They are standing by us, and they are wealthy states,” she said. “This is happening as the United States becomes increasingly isolated because of how Trump treats allies.”
She warned that Trump’s confrontational posture risks accelerating a wider geopolitical shift, particularly in the Arctic.
“We are already seeing the beginnings of a new world order,” she said. “Countries are turning away from the United States because Donald Trump continues to insult those who once stood beside it.”
Indigenous mistrust and dignity
Martinussen said Trump’s language has resonated deeply among Greenlanders as an attack on their identity and dignity as an Indigenous people.
“This is not about the American people,” she said. “It is about Donald Trump and his presidency.”
She said mistrust has deepened because Greenlanders identify as people of color, and have closely watched the political forces surrounding Trump.
“In Greenland, people have noticed that Donald Trump surrounds himself with individuals associated with white supremacist ideology,” she said. “We have seen the symbols, the rhetoric, and then the dismissals of it as accidents. There have been too many signs for people here to trust his administration.”
She added that the issue extends beyond individual remarks.
“People are asking whether Trump was a mistake, or whether this reflects something deeper,” Martinussen said. “If voters could choose someone like Donald Trump once, could it happen again? Those questions have consequences far beyond Greenland.”
Resources, power and survival
According to Martinussen, Trump’s interest in Greenland is widely perceived as driven by access to natural resources rather than security concerns.
“People here believe this is about minerals and wealth in the ground,” she said. “That is what worries people.”
While stressing that Greenlanders are peaceful, she warned that the stakes are existential.
“This is not about power or money,” she said. “It is about our culture, our language, and our survival as a people. We want to live with dignity and develop our society on our own terms.”
“What is extraordinary is that Greenland, a small place with a small population, now finds itself at the center of these global shifts.”
Source: Al Mayadeen English
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