“Donald Trump is a politician,” says Mr. Fenker.
“He’s a tough businessman, and we know his rhetoric, and we’ve been used to that rhetoric since 2019, and it’s just a matter of talking to colleagues, allies, about how we can solve the problems here in the Arctic and also in NATO.”
Mr. Fenker offers the main argument of the supporters of independence.
“Here it is necessary that Greenland as a sovereign state negotiates directly with the United States, and not Denmark, which did it for us.”
Independence from Denmark can come at a significant financial cost.
Every year, Greenland receives subsidies from Copenhagen worth about a fifth of its GDP. Mr. Fenker suggests, like other leading figures here, that the island will negotiate with America and Denmark for support.
“We are not naive in this respect. We need support in defense, security and economic development. We want a sustainable and self-sufficient economy.”
The editor of the local newspaper Sermitsiaq, Maasana Egede, admits that he is concerned about the threat of use of force by Donald Trump, but wants to see how the reality matches the rhetoric.
On independence, Mr. Egede was frustrated by what he sees as polar debates in the media – local and international.
“We talk a lot about whether it should be independence or not independence. But there’s this whole story between them that people want independence, but not at any cost. There is a standard of living that needs to be maintained. .There is trade to be maintained.
There is an expectation that at some point – not in the near future – there will be a yes vote and Denmark will accept the result.
Island Prime Minister Mute Egede spoke at a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen regarding Donald Trump’s latest comments.
“We don’t want to be Danes, we don’t want to be Americans, we want to be Greenlanders,” he said. The Danish prime minister took care not to offend anyone, especially the future president of the United States.
“The debate about Greenlandic independence and recent statements from the US show us a lot of interest in Greenland,” she said. “Events that have stirred many thoughts and feelings in many Greenlanders and Danes.”
