Greenland, which is the world’s largest island but has a population of just 57,000 people, enjoys wide autonomy, although its economy is heavily dependent on subsidies from Copenhagen, and it remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
It also has some of the largest deposits of rare earth minerals, which are crucial in the production of batteries and high-tech devices.
Danish Broadcasting Corporation senior international correspondent Steffen Kretz, who was reporting from the Greenlandic capital, Nuuk, said most people he spoke to were “shocked” by Trump’s suggestion that he could use military force to take control of the territory .
While most people in Greenland hoped for independence in the future, he said there was widespread recognition that it needed a partner that could provide public services, protection and an economic base, as Denmark has now done.
“I have yet to meet a person in Greenland who dreams of the island becoming a colony of another foreign power such as the United States.”
Kretz told the BBC that while the Danish government sought to “downplay” any confrontation with Trump, “behind the scenes I feel the realization that this conflict could become the biggest international crisis for Denmark in modern history.”
The president-elect’s son, Donald Trump Jr., made a brief visit to Greenland on Tuesday in what he called a “personal day trip” to talk to people.
He then posted a photo with a group of Greenlanders in a bar wearing caps in support of Trump.
