'Not for sale': Greenlanders alarmed by Trump's call for annexation

The people of Greenland have reacted with growing fear, anger and uncertainty after renewed rhetoric from US President Donald Trump and his administration about acquiring the Arctic territory, which belongs to Denmark.

Residents and political representatives in Greenland told the BBC that suggestions of buying the island and earlier comments implying that force could be used if necessary were deeply unsettling. Many described the remarks as disrespectful and threatening to a population of just 56,000 people living on the world's largest island.

"The people of Greenland do not want to become American. We are not for sale," said Mia Chemnitz, a 32-year-old business owner in the capital Nuuk, reflecting a sentiment widely shared across the territory, the BBC reported.

The White House has said it was "actively" discussing an offer to buy Greenland from Denmark, despite Copenhagen repeatedly stating that the territory is not for sale. Trump and senior officials had earlier suggested that military action could not be ruled out, remarks that have heightened anxiety among Greenlanders.

According to the BBC, concerns intensified after the United States carried out an unprecedented military operation to detain Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and bring him to New York on drug-trafficking and narco-terrorism charges. Shortly afterwards, a comment by the wife of a senior White House staffer suggested Greenland could be next, making the threat feel suddenly real for many.

"That's when it stopped feeling abstract," said Tupaarnaq Kopeck, a Greenlander living in Canada. She told the BBC she contacted her sister in Greenland to assure her of shelter if the "unthinkable" ever happened.

Aaja Chemnitz, one of Greenland's two representatives in the Danish parliament, described the US comments as "a clear threat" and said she was appalled by the refusal to rule out annexation of a Nato ally's territory. "It's completely disrespectful," she told the BBC.

Greenland's strategic importance lies in its location between North America and the Arctic, making it critical for early-warning missile defence systems. The US has maintained a military presence on the island since World War Two. More recently, interest has grown in Greenland's natural resources, particularly rare earth minerals that are becoming more accessible as climate change melts ice cover.

Masaana Egede, editor of Greenlandic newspaper "Sermitsiaq", told the BBC that the population was deeply uneasy. "It's not fun being 56,000 people and having these threats from a giant like the US," he said, adding that Greenlanders do not take such rhetoric lightly.

According to the report, experts noted that while a US military takeover of Greenland would be relatively easy, the geopolitical consequences could effectively destroy the Nato alliance. Following the renewed debate, six European allies issued a joint statement supporting Greenlanders' right to determine their own future.

Polling consistently shows that while many Greenlanders favour eventual independence from Denmark, they strongly oppose becoming part of the United States. Greenland is largely self-governing, though Denmark retains control over foreign policy and defence.

Some voices, however, expressed more ambivalence. Aleqatsiaq Peary, an Inuit hunter from the northern town of Qaanaaq, told the BBC that US ownership would simply mean "switching from one master to another". He stressed that climate change and the loss of sea ice posed far more immediate threats to livelihoods than geopolitical debates.

Still, many fear that the aggressive tone from Washington is damaging long-standing relations. Christian Keldsen of the Greenland Business Association said people were increasingly irritated and afraid, despite Greenland's openness to trade and cooperation with the US.

"We are a well-functioning democracy," Mia Chemnitz told the BBC. "We are a Nato ally. As Greenland has said before: we are not for sale, but we're open for business."