Hundreds of Greenlanders marched through Nuuk to reject Donald Trump’s push for greater US influence over the Arctic island.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Nuuk on Friday as the United States opened a new consulate in Greenland’s capital amid growing tensions over President Donald Trump’s ambitions for the Arctic territory.
Demonstrators marched through the city centre chanting “Greenland is for Greenlanders” before standing silently with their backs turned toward the new US consulate building. Protest organiser Aqqalukkuluk Fontain said Greenland had already rejected any attempt by Washington to gain control over the island.
“Our message is for the American people and the rest of the world,” Fontain said. “In a democratic world, no means no.”
The protest followed a three-day visit by Trump’s special envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, who travelled to Nuuk to attend a business summit and help strengthen US ties with Greenland.
Landry’s visit sparked criticism because it took place without an official invitation while sensitive talks continue between the US, Greenland and Denmark over the island’s future.
Many Greenlandic politicians refused to attend the consulate opening, including Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen. Local MP Naaja Nathanielsen also declined the invitation, saying it was important to send a political message during the ongoing diplomatic dispute.
Trump has repeatedly argued that Greenland is strategically important for US national security and has called for greater American control over the territory. Washington is also reportedly seeking a larger military presence in the Arctic region.
The opening of the new 3,000-square-metre consulate marks a major expansion of the US diplomatic presence in Greenland at a time of rising geopolitical competition in the Arctic involving the US, China and Russia.
Greenland remains a semi-autonomous territory under Danish control, while local leaders continue to insist that decisions about the island’s future belong to Greenlanders alone.
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