What does Greenland think of Trump and Vance

[kevinnnnn]

Watching Vance rip into Denmark. What does Greenland think of the US? And what do they think of Denmark? I’m a little ignorant around the politics of Greenland/Denmark but would love to know.

If you read almost any news report about this, it says that the people of Greenland are very anti-US.

Greenland finally formed it's new government, yesterday, comprising 4 parties all united in wanting as little as possible to do with the US a d delaying independence from Denmark
https://www.thelocal.dk/20250328/greenland-to-get-new-government-as-parties-agree-on-coalition

It's horrendous. The US says it needs Greenland but the reasons just seem to be "because America wants it".eg the mineral wealth and for its own strategic reasons. The US cant argue (as it would have been able to pre-Trump) that it wants Greenland for NATO/Western security. That bridge has been burnt. America wants Greenland for the benefit of America alone.

Bit like Putin and Ukraine

Well let's see

The visit got scaled down from a cultural one with dog sleighing to a 3 hour US base appearance a fair distance away from Nuuk where it is reported noone was interested in meeting Mrs Vance, so I would say the reaction was very much Make America Go Away

The only thing I've actually read about Greenland and Danish colonialism is Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow. The attitude of Smilla and other Greenlanders to Denmark is depicted as similar to other colonised people towards the invading power. They also have similar problems to other colonised peoples: lower life expectancy to Danish, higher morbidity and infant mortality.
I don't know what replacing Denmark with the USA would achieve re health and wellbeing. There's probably dissenting opinions among the people of Greenland but there's no evident groundswell of support for the switch.

Who would volunteer to be controlled by trump, at this stage?! Even if a different leader and a gentle discussion about stronger ties might have been welcome, why be subsumed by this one?!

The arrogance of assuming anyone would be interested in meeting her is staggering.

I'd love it if Greenland pivoted to closer ties with Canada. Makes more sense, geographically. I know they've voted for greater independence from Denmark and to move towards their own indepence but, I wonder if Trump's predatory moves are giving some pause for thought. The back up of Denmark/EU/NATO may be more reassuring atm

Is there a possibility of the US just taking Greenland by force? Please say no!

@SwedishEdith i suppose in normal times someone would meet the VP’s wife - bit like when the UK has minor dukes going to village fetes or new hospital wings. That no one could muster up a plaque for her to unveil is quite funny 😀

They can if they want and at the moment it isn't something anyone can rule out.

I wonder will some good come of it. I wonder will Denmark start investing more in Greenland. It seems quite neglected.

I mean they aren’t ruling it out which is a worry.

All the foreign policy people are saying they won’t but not ruling out economic pressure on Denmark.

Greenland's stance on this was we don't even have a functioning government, at the moment (the alliance was only agreed yesterday, a couple of weeks after the election) and we didn't invite them and it was absurd of the Vances to impose themselves on a country between governments.

I can't imagine Vance's rererence to Greenland as a landmass rather than the country that it is will have prompted the new government to think, yeah, we really must invite this guy over and host him properly once we've settled in a bit.

Every American I know is absolutely horrified to be associated with Trump and Vance but that's because they are outward looking people with experience of Europe etc.

How's it playing out to the average American? Do they care what the world thinks of them now? Or do they think Trump is just doing what is good for the US? Because long term I just can't see this being good for anyone including the US.

Is Greenland part of the European continent or the American continent?
I know it’s governed/owned (not sure of the correct relationship) by Denmark, but would you say it is European? And what is it culturally? Are the indigo’s people (are there any indigenous people?) related to the Inuit? Or a are they culturally and racially European?

Not that it makes any difference when it comes to America “wanting” Greenland.

I can only add a very small insight. I had 2 girls from Greenland stay with us as part of a student language school. I keep in contact with one and I asked her a similar question, she replied that the Greenlandic people just want to be independent.

The problem is we think of USA as one country when it's probably more like Europe only more insular. So for every 'France' and 'Germany' state there's a Hungary. Life is very hard in USA there is very little safety net. Everything there is classic scapegoating- blame the Mexicans / Europeans so the poor get angry at them instead of the billionaires.

So the Americans we know are educated and well-travelled but there are millions with no passports who have barely left their own State never mind travelled further afield. Those people are as easily indoctrinated by biased media as those living in totalitarian states. They don't have time, money or energy to think deeply because they are endlessly grubbing for survival.

Thats interesting. Thank you. And Trump and Vance tell them what they need (or think they need) to hear.

I think they have a mix. Some of the names of Greenlanders I've seen interviewed have looked Danish. But it's part of the American continent.

They speak Greenlandish and Danish I understand. Which will be a bit strange of they become American perhaps.

They are indigenous Inuit. 90+% of the population is Greenlandic Inuit and they’re very much still scarred by the Danish colonisation. I have been there and spoken to Greenlanders about their thoughts on Denmark but this was a few years before Trump - I can’t imagine they want anything to do with him or America though. There is a strong pro-independence sentiment but financially they are reliant on Denmark as Greenland’s economy is so small. In answer to your question they’re not culturally European or part of Europe, although European influence is present in Nuuk, and they’re definitely not American. They have more in common with the Indigenous Canadian Inuit. I’m not sure if Greenland the geographical island is considered part of the American continent.

There is no ‘American continent’. Geographically it is part of North America, the same as Canada and Mexico.

Ethnically, Greenlanders are 90% Inuit with the rest of European descent.

It is an independent realm with home rule within the Danish Kingdom. Denmark retains control of defence and foreign affairs but everything else is devolved.

Most Greenlanders want full independence but the US’s threats are giving them second thoughts and the new coalition is looking to delay a bid for full independence. As an independent country with a tiny population and no military they would be very vulnerable to being annexed by an aggressor such as the USA.

What Trump el al seem not to realise (or possibly not care) is that over 80% of the population are non caucasian and may not consider themselves white.
Given this I doubt they fancy being owned by a country run by racists