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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to be anxious about the situation with Greenland?

106 replies

KitKat1985 · 10/01/2026 13:06

Just that really.

A few years ago I wouldn't have even considered the concept of America trying to forcefully take a territory which is part of a friendly, peaceful country and fellow Nato member. Now though Trump seems so mad I'm worried it could actually happen.

Surely if it did happen America would be expelled from Nato and ourselves (UK) and other Nato countries would have defend Greenland from a US invasion, and a major international conflict would be triggered.

I can't work out anymore if I'm just being alarmist and have watched too much news, or if this is an actual possibility we should all be worried about.

YABU - This is never going to happen in reality. The news is just scare-mongering.

YANBU - Trump is mad enough to actually attempt this and risk major international conflict.

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PurpleAxe · 11/01/2026 21:31

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 11/01/2026 10:52

This is all our own making though.

We stopped investing in defence, decimated the army and thought we can let the US carry NATO while we expand our welfare state.

Yup, a lot of the Western world relies on the US for security. And now they are not playing nice.

MissyB1 · 11/01/2026 11:53

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 11/01/2026 10:52

This is all our own making though.

We stopped investing in defence, decimated the army and thought we can let the US carry NATO while we expand our welfare state.

We stopped investing in all of our public services, NHS, schools, prisons etc… As for the welfare state that’s a result of a low wage, low growth economy. People shouldn’t have to rely on benefits to top up their wages. Meanwhile of course the wealth gap grew and grew…..

TheGrinchWasHere · 11/01/2026 10:58

lljkk · 11/01/2026 10:47

I have been wondering why Trump administration are talking aggression when a charm offensive could work perfectly. There's no need for hostile takeover hints.

Offer direct one-off payments to Greenlanders quickly, regardless of status towards statehood. Denmark doesn't get 'paid' for Greenland; Greenlanders get paid for Greenland.
Offer full fast-track statehood pathway, guaranteed (as much as we trust anything Trump ever promises), so Greendlanders would Not be like Puerto Rico.
Propose clone of Alaska's constitution which promises Payments to each state resident, out of oil revenues (mineral wealth Greenland), as long as oil revenues are high enough.

I reckon Greenlanders would narrowly vote in favour of leaving DK and become a 51st US state on those terms.

Exactly

i I think I saw some talk of money to Greenlanders. Was probably just a passing comment but often that’s how things start.

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 11/01/2026 10:52

This is all our own making though.

We stopped investing in defence, decimated the army and thought we can let the US carry NATO while we expand our welfare state.

lljkk · 11/01/2026 10:47

I have been wondering why Trump administration are talking aggression when a charm offensive could work perfectly. There's no need for hostile takeover hints.

Offer direct one-off payments to Greenlanders quickly, regardless of status towards statehood. Denmark doesn't get 'paid' for Greenland; Greenlanders get paid for Greenland.
Offer full fast-track statehood pathway, guaranteed (as much as we trust anything Trump ever promises), so Greendlanders would Not be like Puerto Rico.
Propose clone of Alaska's constitution which promises Payments to each state resident, out of oil revenues (mineral wealth Greenland), as long as oil revenues are high enough.

I reckon Greenlanders would narrowly vote in favour of leaving DK and become a 51st US state on those terms.

Tpu · 11/01/2026 10:35

Brightlittlecanary · 10/01/2026 15:59

American wants Greenland to protect American air space, so if Putin attacks they need to be in Greenland to detect them and destroy any missiles.

as much as I also abhor trump , and don’t agree with the bully boy tactics on this, this is not about trump and a legacy or trump expanding his empire. This is about if Russia attacks.

there are other reasons like oil and transport routes, and Denmark has offered rhe us further military presence to protect themselves, but the USA doesn’t feel Denmark has the capability to hold Putin off, so they want Greenland so they can. That’s the primary reason.

its about war.

Sure, and Maduro is about “Narco-Terrorism”

TheGrinchWasHere · 11/01/2026 10:31

PurpleAxe · 11/01/2026 05:59

Denmark will sell it to them.

This.

Or the Greenlanders will accept funds to vote for US rule. There is already talk of $100k per citizen.

Sartre · 11/01/2026 07:41

You can’t do anything about it so zero point feeling anxious. The thing is, Denmark have told Trump he can add more bases on Greenland and essentially do whatever the hell he wants so it’s up to him if he still wants to be an aggressor in the situation and invade.

MAGA don’t want any of this bullshit fwiw, they wanted isolationism hence the tariffs. Vance and Miller are not remotely interested in Greenland or even Venezuela. He’s going to slowly lose his loyal base, it already started with Marjorie Taylor Green.

SilverGlitterBaubles · 11/01/2026 07:05

America is a basket case and Trump is trying to distract from everything that is happening domestically to show might on the international stage. The issue is there is no one in opposition with enough support or a really strong leader to challenge him so he feels he can do as he pleases. Certainly a very precarious situation for the world right now.

EasternEcho · 11/01/2026 06:54

redbottleblue · 10/01/2026 15:52

If America doesn't take Greenland then someone else will (I believe China want it too). I get it's a nice idea that Greenland is for the Greenlanders, but the world is volatile right now and America needs to bolster up it's defences, particularly as the entire Western world is relying on America to save us from anyone else. We can't expect America to help us with their hands tied behind their backs. If we wanted more of a say on it then we should've been sorting out own national defences for the past few decades rather than rely on America

This same old argument. The US has the freedom to set up military bases on Greenland and they had in the past. They dismantled it themselves. And your argument also ignores NATO. The whole concept is based on "an attack on one is an attack on the whole". So why the need to "own" a part of another country's territory? This is based on expansionism and greed, nothing else.

PurpleAxe · 11/01/2026 05:59

Denmark will sell it to them.

Cornishclio · 11/01/2026 05:50

i will say it won’t end with Greenland. Trump is constantly knocking UK and Europe. He wants to be King of the World and we need our own better defences and closer ties in EU. We cannot rely on the US now. They are not our friend.

Cornishclio · 11/01/2026 05:43

I agree. It is scary and if it happens that will be the end of NATO. I don’t think we should be letting US use our bases. Greenland don’t want to be part of US and they are a sovereign country. Trump is power crazed enough to try it though. I despair of what the US has turned into.

Hyperobject · 11/01/2026 05:31

I suspect the consequences will be more keenly felt in Asia, as any further destruction of the current ‘rules-based system’, will likely embolden China to make a move on Taiwan.

That said, unless/until Beijing believe they can successfully invade and occupy Taiwan, it’s difficult to see it happening. Imagine a scenario where they try, and fail. That could prove existential for Xi following the intelligence catastrophe in Venezuela, and Putin’s failing gambit in Ukraine.

Europe will need to provide for its own defence, which has consequences for tax and spending, of course.

WaryCrow · 11/01/2026 05:17

IndigoIsMyFavouriteColour · 10/01/2026 14:44

If America makes a move for Greenland, the UK will help them, even if the rest of Europe stands against it. Just like we did with the theft of a Russian oil tanker. No thoughts to how unsafe it makes us, just focused on being the US’s lapdog

Sadly, this. Successive leaders have made us nothing but a conveniently deniable vassal to the US, much as Belarus is to Russia. Many of our August ‘leaders’ have eyed up high powered low-work positions in the US after their time of service here, having dutifully done the US’s bidding in the EU and elsewhere. That’s one of the main reasons why Europe has few military options now and why our military is going to be seriously hamstrung without the US. Independent nuclear deterrents remember? Far too many men applaud the new return to ‘might is right’ ideologies.

Lemonfrost · 10/01/2026 20:43

Empress13 · 10/01/2026 17:07

What’s the point of worrying if you can’t do anything about it that’s my view you can’t change it

Thanks for solving the problem 😐

Lemonfrost · 10/01/2026 20:40

redbottleblue · 10/01/2026 16:26

There are over 40 European countries all relying on Trump to get us out of trouble if war erupts. Don't you want America to be stronger to deal with that?

Oh come on now. That ship has long sailed.

soupyspoon · 10/01/2026 20:09

I say this any time the subject comes up. America is a banana republic with prestige and money.

It is not your run of the mill beacon of freedom and a representation of democracy and statesmanship. No class, no skill

The country was borne out of religious extremism, isolation, conspiracy mindset, why would we think a mere couple of hundred years later it would have changed massively.

Warmongers and landgrabbers

GameofPhones · 10/01/2026 20:07

Trump is right to point out that Russia and China want Greenland, too. But he could have gone for defending it from them without seeking to 'own' it. He's arrogant and crude and puts everyone's backs up. Someone more statesmanlike and diplomatic, not to mention humane, would have gone for some kind of quid pro quo arrangement with Greenland/Denmark. But of course he's greedy and wants to own the resources of Greenland outright. Is there any big power that has not behaved like this though? I'm worried about Canada too. Surely they have a stake in defending Greenland.

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 10/01/2026 20:04

I think we need to accept there are three superpowers and no sovereign nations anymore. If any of them decide to take any country now there is not a thing we could do about it.

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 10/01/2026 20:03

He has publicly stated that if he doesn’t move into Greenland then Russia or China will and he will not have them as neighbours. He has said he’d rather do it another way - which I assume means he’d rather buy it but obviously not for what’s it’s worth. I fully expect him to start moving troops onto the land and then I guess we watch and wait.

Flomingho · 10/01/2026 20:02

omggggggg · 10/01/2026 13:18

He’s almost 80 he’ll be off his perch soon enough

It's crazy that an 80 year old wields so much power. There should be a compulsory retirement age for presidents and prime ministers.

redbottleblue · 10/01/2026 19:57

2000Essays · 10/01/2026 16:33

Um he’s not exactly being a lot of help with Ukraine is he? If Putin decided to be hostile to anybody else in Europe Trump would do the same- sfa. They’re best buds and scratching each others backs.

We need to ditch Brexit and get closer to Europe- pronto!

Ukraine wasn't part of NATO when Russia attacked them. Trump had no obligation to help

omggggggg · 10/01/2026 19:40

The USA has been screwed since Obama left office. We had dementia Biden now an egotistical orange mad man

suburberphobe · 10/01/2026 19:26

He’s almost 80 he’ll be off his perch soon enough

Well said.

He's crazy.

What happened to The Great (??) USA.

Horrific that woman going about her business was shot dead.

Scary times we live in.