Greenlanders say no to U.S. alignment after Trump threats, turn to Denmark

Greenlanders watching violence in Minneapolis and President Trump’s threats have soured on the United States and pushed the Arctic island closer to Denmark, residents and officials say, the New York Times reported on Jan. 29, 2026. Aviaja Sinkbaek, an office manager in Nuuk who once worked in the Boston area, said she no longer views America as a “safe option,” calling the images from Minnesota “crazy” and describing Mr.

Trump as “crazy.” The article says many Greenlanders have been anxious, glued to their phones and sleeping poorly as Mr. Trump’s fixation on Greenland has dominated conversation. The pressure from Mr. Trump, who recently declared he would not seize Greenland by force, has backfired, the report says, strengthening ties with Denmark.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, stood with Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, and said Greenland would choose Denmark over the United States if forced to choose. The Times recounts broader context: Greenland, a semiautonomous territory with about 57,000 people, has seen growing interest in independence in recent years, but many now view the current Denmark-subsidized arrangement as preferable to becoming part of a deeply divided United States.

Julie Rademacher, who leads a Greenlandic association in Denmark, and others pointed to differences in social services and the treatment of Indigenous peoples as factors shaping opinion.

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