As the US President vows to take over the huge North Atlantic island proud locals in the capital Nuuk have sent a determined message that their home is not up for grabs.
Greenlanders have told the Daily Record they will follow the example of Braveheart hero William Wallace to defend their “freedom” in the face of threats from Donald Trump. As the US President vows to take over the huge North Atlantic island proud locals in the capital Nuuk have sent a determined message that their home is not up for grabs. Morten Meller, 60, beat his chest and declared, “No. He cannot do this. We must have our FREEDOM!.” Drinking in Daddy’s bar with other fishermen, Morten said: “Donald Trump thinks he can buy us, pay money for us, but we are human beings. We cannot be bought.” Everyone we spoke to shared Morten’s view. Trump’s plans carry an explicit threat of force and most people in Nuuk now view him as a gangster. We trudged the snowbound streets and around the icy harbour to ask what ordinary Greenlanders think of the big issue that has brought the gaze of the entire world on this freezing outpost. Scallop fisherman Peter Hessner pointed at a gathering of giant ravens at the side of the road, when asked about the US President. He said: “He’s nuts. Everyone knows it, even the birds know it.”
Peter was born in Greenland to a Danish father and Greenlandic mother. Like the majority of Greenlanders he would like independence. Many believe now is not the right time economically to break free from Denmark – and virtually every person we spoke to said a takeover by America would be a disaster. Peter, who has skippered a scallop boat for more than 30 years, says he wishes to preserve the Greenlandic way of life – but in a country that runs its own affairs.
He said: “We want to run our own country, to be independent of other countries, including Denmark. We don’t want an even worse arrangement than the one we have. “If I was offered independence tomorrow I would take it but I wouldn’t take a deal to be part of America for any amount of money. We want our freedom.” Peter said Greenland could stand on its own without American money. He said: “We have a lot of minerals and we have a lot of fish in the sea. We could open up some mines and we can make a lot of money for our people through this. Our fishing industry can also be very successful. I don’t think Donald Trump will mess around with NATO – but you never know when you’re dealing with someone who is crazy.”
Student Malik Jensen, 17, said he would like to pass on a message to Donald Trump from the young people of Nuuk. He said: “My message is this: f*** you. I’m mad about this as we don’t want the Americans here. We don’t want our country to be invaded and we don’t want to get annexed – whatever that means. People are afraid right now.”
Malik, who aims to study animation in Denmark and bring his skills back to Greenland, said no amount of money could persuade him or other Greenlandic people to accept Donald Trump or the USA as a sovereign power. He said: “People are angry and they won’t accept it. Our country is beautiful and we believe that culture and history are more important than money.” Student Malik Karlsen, 16, said young Greenlanders all agree that Donald Trump is a bully. He is one of the few who thinks Trump could actually launch a military takeover, following the outrageous US mission to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
He said: “I don’t like what he is saying about Greenland at all. I thought his threat of force was a bluff at first but after what he did with Venezuela’s president, I don’t think it’s a bluff.” Malik, who lived in Denmark for four years, said he feels people in Nuuk are scared but he would not support any deal that involved the people being paid off by the USA – even if it meant fixing their woefully inadequate health service. He said: “We need to get the health service sorted out but not at that price.” Removal man Inuit Mohammed Lundblad, 35, served as NATO soldier from the age of 19 to 23. He said the resilience of the military alliance, formed in Washington DC in 1949, is now being tested by Trump. Mohammed, an Inuit, says it’s crucial that NATO stands up to the challenge. The father of one said: “NATO has to be strong here because there are more soldiers at its command and it must be aware of its own strength. “The USA has more firepower but I don’t think it will ever come down to that. I think Trump will draw the line and not actually use any force. Whatever value he sees in Greenland – and it is obviously a very high one – it would be crazy to become enemies with all the nations of NATO.”
Petrina Lange, 29, is a mother of one and has another on the way. She is still working at the harbour in Nuuk as a removals agent, until her maternity leave starts. She is fiercely proud and does not wish her children to live in the dominion of any other nation. Inuit Petrina said: “I have no idea what the USA will do next. I think almost everyone I know would like to see an independent Greenland. We don’t want to be part of America.” On our walkaround of Nuuk, it takes several hours to find even one voice in favour of Donald Trump’s plans. We find one eventually, 35-year-old Julio Sangreen, who is drinking with other men under a tunnel that leads to the entrance of Nuuk’s shopping mall. Despite Greenland’s stunning landscape and rich cultural heritage, it shares the same high instance of social problems as the UK. Unemployed Julio said: “We want Trump. We want America because we need money. I have no money for even food yet our country would be very rich if we deal with Trump.”
