Donald Trump claims to need this autonomous territory of Denmark rich in minerals for questions of “national security”. Point J takes stock of the geopolitical and economic issues around this strategic island.
“We all feel a little scared, uncomfortable, as if we had been disrespected. None of us wants to be colonized a second time, and especially not by the United States!”, says Naaja , 21 years old, Greenlandic from Nuuk, about Donald Trump’s statements about his native country.
Donald Trump has been interested in Greenland since 2017 because of its strategic importance for the security of the United States, particularly against Russia and China. “The American military base at Pituffik, located in the northwest of Greenland, is absolutely fundamental for advanced detection of possible Soviet missiles. And possibly responding to them,” analyzes Mikaa Blugeon-Mered, specialist in polar regions and Greenland.
Greenland has a role as a sentinel or advanced centerpiece of the United States in its defense architecture in the High North
In 2019, Donald Trump offered to buy the territory from Denmark. In 2024-2025, he is no longer talking about purchasing, but downright taking control. “This gesture is part of a colonialist, imperialist and virilist drift by Donald Trump which worsened during his 2024 campaign,” reacts Mikaa Blugeon-Mered.
“Whether you are climate skeptic or in favor of renewable energies, Greenland is full of resources that may interest you: oil and gas, uranium, rare earths, and other strategic minerals. Thanks to its potential in renewable energies – wind, solar, hydroelectricity – Greenland could produce and export green molecules, thus offering a possible path towards its economic independence”, underlines the specialist.
What is the history of this island? What form does the relationship with Denmark take? Can Greenland really become independent?
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Juliane Roncoroni and the Point J team
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