分类： politics

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.

Australia’s political landscape has been reshaped as the National Party announced its formal separation from the Liberal Party, fracturing the nation’s primary opposition coalition. The rupture follows intense disagreements regarding recently enacted hate speech legislation, throwing Liberal leader Sussan Ley’s leadership into uncertainty.

The schism emerged from fundamentally different approaches to the government’s proposed hate speech reforms, introduced in response to last month’s deadly terrorist attack at Bondi Beach that claimed 15 lives during a Jewish festival. While both coalition partners had opposed parallel gun control measures, the Liberals ultimately supported the hate speech legislation in Parliament, creating an irreconcilable division with their National counterparts.

Nationals leader David Littleproud declared the coalition ‘untenable’ during a press conference held on a national day of mourning for the attack victims. ‘Our party room has made it clear that we cannot be part of a shadow ministry under Sussan Ley,’ Littleproud stated, though he left open the possibility of future reconciliation, suggesting that ‘some time apart’ might benefit both conservative parties.

The breakdown accelerated when three Nationals frontbenchers submitted their resignations after their party abstained from voting on the hate speech bill in the lower house and opposed it in the senate, contravening a shadow cabinet agreement. Ley accepted the resignations despite warnings from Littleproud that this would trigger mass departures from the Nationals shadow ministry.

This marks the second dissolution of the coalition within a year, following a brief separation last May over climate and energy policies that was resolved within weeks. The current dispute centers on concerns that the hastily drafted legislation threatens free speech protections while banning groups deemed to spread hate and increasing penalties for religious leaders advocating violence.

Political analysts suggest the rupture compounds challenges for Ley, who has struggled to consolidate authority since becoming the Liberal Party’s first female leader following last year’s electoral defeat. The timing of the split, occurring during a national day of mourning, drew criticism from some quarters, though Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie defended her party’s decision despite acknowledging the ‘appalling’ timing.

The coalition, dating back to the 1940s, now faces existential questions about its future viability as Australia’s dominant conservative force, with former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull describing the situation as ‘smouldering wreckage’ while John Howard offered support for Ley’s handling of the crisis.