Greenland, Denmark present united front against US pressure
Greenland and Denmark have formed a rare united front in response to renewed interest by US President Donald Trump in taking control of the Arctic island, temporarily setting aside decades of tension rooted in their colonial history.
Greenland’s leaders said last week they had no interest in Trump’s proposal, which resurfaced before he backed off on Wednesday after announcing what he described as a framework agreement on Arctic security with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
Coalition formed amid external pressure
Greenland, a former Danish colony that remains an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, has long pursued independence, though its political parties differ on the timeline and method.
Trump’s renewed interest in the island in early 2025 prompted Greenland’s main political parties to set aside their differences and form a coalition government in March 2025, leaving only the pro-fast-track independence Naleraq party in opposition.
At the height of the diplomatic tension, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen made it clear that if forced to choose between the United States and Denmark, the government would stand with Denmark.
Joint diplomacy in Washington and Brussels
In recent weeks, Greenland and Denmark have coordinated their diplomatic response, presenting a unified position in talks with US and European officials.
On January 14, Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt joined Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen in Washington for meetings with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Days later, Motzfeldt travelled to Brussels with Denmark’s Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen for talks with NATO leadership.
Danish and Greenlandic officials have repeatedly stressed that decisions concerning the island can only be made by Greenland and Denmark.
Independence plans paused
Researchers say US pressure has temporarily shifted Greenland’s internal political focus.
Ulrik Pram Gad of the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) said the external threat had pushed Greenland’s coalition to pause independence preparations.
“Trump’s pressure has prompted the wide majority of the political spectrum that forms the coalition government to put independence preparations aside for now,” he said.
Colonial wounds beneath the unity
Despite the current show of solidarity, relations between Greenland and Denmark remain shaped by a painful colonial past.
Greenland was ruled as a Danish colony from the early 18th century, became a full part of Denmark in 1953, and gained home rule in 1979, with expanded autonomy in 2009.
Scholars note that colonial-era policies left lasting scars, including the forced separation of Inuit children in the 1950s and decades-long birth control programmes imposed without consent on thousands of women.
Denmark has since issued formal apologies and begun compensation processes for some of the victims, while controversial child welfare practices affecting Greenlandic families were only discontinued last year.
Common opponent, for now
Analysts say the renewed US interest has, at least temporarily, pushed these unresolved issues into the background.
“Right now, there’s a general agreement that the common opponent is Trump, and we need to face this together,” said Astrid Andersen, a specialist in Danish-Greenlandic relations at DIIS.
For now, Greenland and Denmark appear determined to maintain a united front as geopolitical interest in the Arctic continues to grow.
