Arctic diplomacy: US Vice President meets Nordic leaders as Trump continues to bait for Greenland

Along the snow-covered main street of Greenland’s capital Nuuk, international journalists have been stopping residents every few metres, asking what they think about a crisis Denmark’s prime minister has warned could even threaten the future of NATO.

Greenland has found itself at the centre of a geopolitical storm after US President Donald Trump said he wants to take control of the Arctic island, declaring that he is determined to “own” it and that Washington has not ruled out the use of force. Residents of Nuuk, however, have been unequivocal in their response: Greenland is not for sale.

The issue will dominate talks in Washington on Wednesday, where US Vice President J.D. Vance is scheduled to meet Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt. Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, a NATO ally of the United States.

Among those voicing concern is Tuuta Mikaelsen, a 22-year-old student in Nuuk, who said she hopes American leaders will understand the message to “back off”.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, speaking in Copenhagen on Tuesday, made his position clear. “If we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark. We choose NATO. We chose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the EU,” he said.

Trump has argued that Greenland is critical to US security, citing what he describes as growing threats from Russian and Chinese ships in the Arctic. But many Greenlanders and experts dispute that claim.

“The only Chinese I see is when I go to the fast food market,” said Lars Vintner, a heating engineer who regularly sails and hunts in the region. “What has come out of the mouth of Donald Trump about all these ships is just fantasy,” added his friend Hans Norgaard.

Denmark has already said the United States — which maintains a military presence on the island — is free to expand its bases there. For that reason, Vintner believes security is being used as a pretext. “Security is just a cover,” he said, arguing that Trump’s real interest lies in Greenland’s untapped natural resources.

Norgaard said he has even filed a police complaint in Nuuk over what he called Trump’s “aggressive” behaviour, claiming US officials are threatening Greenlanders and undermining NATO unity.

“Donald Trump would like to have Greenland, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin would like Ukraine, and (Chinese President) Xi Jinping would like to have Taiwan,” he said.

Strategically, Greenland’s importance is growing as climate change melts Arctic ice, opening potential new shipping routes to Asia and making vast reserves of critical minerals easier to access — resources vital for modern technology.

For many residents, however, the issue is deeply personal. Mikaelsen said Greenlanders benefit from being part of Denmark, which provides free healthcare, education and student support. “I don’t want the US to take that away from us,” she said.

Ahead of the Washington talks, Greenland’s Minister for Business and Mineral Resources Naaja Nathanielsen called it “unfathomable” that the United States is even discussing taking over a NATO ally, urging the Trump administration to listen to the voices of Greenland’s people.

As diplomatic tensions rise, Greenlanders remain firm that their future should be decided not in Washington, but in Nuuk.

With PTI inputs