Donald Trump has set his sights on Greenland, the world’s largest island, drawing global attention to a territory of just 57,000 inhabitants. The U.S. president has openly discussed purchasing the island and has not ruled out military action to acquire it, despite Greenland being part of NATO through Denmark. Yet for Greenlanders, the prospect of swapping one foreign power for another is far from appealing. A 2025 poll found that 85% opposed becoming part of the United States, while only 6% supported the idea, underscoring a strong preference for autonomy.
Greenlanders’ mistrust of external powers is rooted in centuries of Danish control. Denmark has long presented itself as a benevolent coloniser, but the legacy includes dark chapters that continue to shape public sentiment. In the 1960s and 70s, thousands of Greenlandic women and girls were forcibly fitted with contraceptive coils without consent, causing lasting physical and psychological harm. Naja Lyberth, one of the first to speak publicly about the ordeal, described it as “like torture, like a rape.” Former Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Egede labeled the programme “straightforward genocide.”
Another historic controversy, the so-called “little Danes experiment” in the 1950s, involved sending 22 Inuit children to Danish families to learn Danish language and culture, with many experiencing long-term trauma and broken family ties. Subsequent policies assessing Greenlandic parenting skills against Danish norms further reinforced feelings of colonial oppression.
These historical grievances, combined with the island’s economic dependence on Denmark through subsidies and support for essential services, have shaped Greenlanders’ cautious approach to independence. While 56% support eventual sovereignty, most prefer a gradual path, seeking greater local control without jeopardizing living standards. Experts suggest that a decade or more may be required for Greenland to achieve full economic and political autonomy.
Despite Trump’s attempts to woo support—including visits by Vice President JD Vance to the Pituffik Space Base—the Greenlandic population remains determined that their land is not for sale. As Aurélien Colson, Professor of Political Science, notes, the prevailing mood could be summed up as “less Copenhagen over time, and certainly not Washington instead,” highlighting a desire for self-determination rooted in historical experience.
