Residents of Greenland have responded with profound skepticism to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent declaration regarding the future status of the autonomous Danish territory. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump announced he had established a satisfactory framework agreement concerning Greenland’s geopolitical position, though he provided no substantive details to support this claim.
The announcement follows weeks of increasingly confrontational rhetoric from the American president regarding his administration’s interest in acquiring strategic control over the Arctic island. Despite Trump’s assertion that he reached this understanding during discussions with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Greenlanders remain largely unconvinced.
In interviews conducted in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, residents expressed overwhelming doubt about the validity of Trump’s statements. Mickel Nielsen, a 47-year-old technician, characterized the announcement as ‘quite simply a lie,’ adding, ‘I don’t believe a word he says, and I don’t think I’m the only one.’
This sentiment was echoed by Anak, a 64-year-old care worker, who stated unequivocally, ‘Trump? I don’t believe him. Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.’ Another resident, identifying themselves as Miki, noted the inconsistency of Trump’s declarations, observing that ‘he can say something and two minutes later he says completely the opposite.’
According to NATO spokesperson Allison Hart, the discussion between Trump and Rutte was ‘very productive,’ with allies prepared to examine a framework addressing U.S. security concerns about potential Russian and Chinese influence in Greenland. Hart indicated that subsequent negotiations would involve Denmark, Greenland, and the United States with the stated objective of preventing economic or military footholds by rival powers.
However, Greenlandic political representatives have challenged the legitimacy of these discussions. Aaja Chenmitz, a Greenlandic member of the Danish parliament, emphasized that ‘NATO has absolutely no right to negotiate anything without us, Greenland. Nothing about us without us.’ She further characterized the idea of NATO influencing decisions about Greenland’s territory and mineral resources as ‘completely insane.’
These developments occur against the backdrop of overwhelming public opposition to integration with the United States. A January 2025 poll revealed that 85% of Greenlanders oppose joining the United States, with only 6% expressing support for such a move.