“The bigger part of the Greenland population wants independence” Political news

Copenhagen, Denmark – For Donald Trump, the President of the United States, who presents himself as an adequate deal, Greenland seems to be an irresistible opportunity.

He has long said he wants to buy the huge, semi -autonomous ice island, which is part of Denmark, rich in unused mineral resources and the home of about 56,000 people.

In 2019, during his first term as president, Trump suggested that the United States buy Greenland, creating it as a real estate deal.

In 2025, President Trump once again said he was concerned about national and economic security, believing that China and Russia were a threat. Both countries have strengthened their military activities in the Arctic.

Trump also questioned whether Denmark has Greenland rights and said that if so, Copenhagen should give up the United States.

“I think we will receive Greenland because it is related to the freedom of the world,” he told reporters aboard the Air Force one last month.

He declined to rule out a military attack if his demands were not fulfilled, a threat that opened a new chapter of tensions with Europe.

In 2019, the proposal was rejected.

Kim Kilsen, then chairman of Naalakkersuisut, the Greenland government, said the territory was not on sale.

Greenland and the Danish governments are now again underline the same message.

The current Green Government chairman, Mute B EGEDE, has stressed its aspirations for independence and confirmed an interest in cooperation with other powers – including Denmark, the European Union and the United States.

Al Jazeera interviews Birger Popel, a social scientist and professor of Emerit in or Sysimatusarfik – the University of Greenland, for the increasing tension, the recent visit of Donald Trump – Jr. Arctic's challenges due to increased delivery trafficking.

AL JAZEERA: Donald Trump, Jr. visited Greenland on Donald Trump's private aircraft to sell an idea – which is bought from the United States will improve Greenland's wealth. According to local reports, some Grenlains were forced to say a movie that they miss everything and love the United States. Do Greenland US LOVE?

Birger Poppel: The sale of the idea very accurately summarizes the goal of Trump Jr.'s half-day visit to NUUK.

Trump's avant -garde arrived the previous day, where they gave away Mag's hats to people who met, who then agreed to be at Nuk Airport when the junior and his PR team arrived.

After his arrival, Junior was greeted by Trump's local supporter, who participated in Trump's election campaign as an activist, along with a few handfuls of locals wearing Magi hats and a group of curious Nuk citizens.

One of the events was lunch at a local luxury restaurant, where locals-mostly social people in disadvantaged and people with poor in resources-they made free food.

Junior's visit was a major PR stunt. He claims he was on a tourist visit, but he and the group came with mostly political messages – based on false news and manipulated information. This also applies to his statement about Greenland's views on the United States.

Four of the five parties in (Parliament of Greenland) Inatsisartut – including the two state parties – have independence in Greenland as part of their political programs. The majority of Greenland's population wants independence within 10-20 years and provided that the standard of living can be maintained.

A recent public opinion study shows that 85 percent of Greenland does not want Greenland to leave the Danish sphere and instead become part of the United States.

If Greenland's population receives a choice between Danish or US citizens, 55 percent will choose Danish citizenship while 8 percent will choose US citizenship.

Al Jazeera: How should Greenland be evaluated to Trump that Greenland is related to US national and economic security? China and Russia pose threats?

Popel: If one takes Trump's words at a nominal value, the threat can hardly be stronger. It should also be noted that Trump has threatened one of the US NATO partners.

This is just one example of Trump's inability to accept or comply with an international social order based on rules where national borders are recognized. Thus, Trump's statement also contributes to the legitimization of, for example (Russian President Vladimir), Putin's war against Ukraine.

The United States has the opportunity to achieve its geostrategic goals in Greenland with a base in North Greenland and a defense agreement with Denmark.

If “economic security” means access to the extraction of raw materials, for example, rare earth elements (REE), Greenland self -government has invited US and US companies to apply for licenses for research and development in Greenland.

Only one American company has a license.

So, there may be reasons for Trump's statements – either because of an insufficient look at the actual conditions, or the desire to own Greenland is to please the main voters to point out that “make America the great again” also need to be understood territorial, as is the case with Panama channelS

Al Jazeera: The Arctic is usually regarded as frozen and remote not only geographically but also political. What is changing?

Popel: Global warming means, among other things, that the ice sheet in the North Ocean decreases both to the degree and in the thickness. This means an increase in shipping traffic, not least through the northeast passage.

Increased shipping traffic will also mean increased traffic from China and Russia, with Trump apparently fearing that part of this traffic will consist of naval ships from Russia and China.

In recent decades, Russia – in accordance with the increased accessibility of the Russian Arctic coast – modernized and modernized military facilities along the coast and also modernized the Russian fleet with ice breeders.

In an interview, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has justified the increased US security needs in the Arctic, as China may demand port facilities in Greenland. Rubio saw this as an argument for Trump's desire the United States to own Greenland.

The five Arctic countries-Canada, Greenland/Denmark, Norway and Russia, the United States, which borders the Arctic Ocean, in the so-called 2008 Ilulisat Declaration, committed to resolving conflicts in the region with peaceful means. Ten years later, in 2018, the five coastal countries in the Arctic confirmed the Ilulisat Declaration, thus maintaining the Arctic as a low voltage zone.

There is no doubt that both Russia and China have a growing interest in the Arctic. Russia, whose long coastline borders half of the Arctic Ocean, modernizes the Arctic military installations, and China is interested in oil and gas from the Russian part of the Arctic and in the future use of future Arctic sails with lower transport costs.

Al Jazeera: Europe was shocked by Trump's promise to take Greenland from any necessary resources. The Danish government has launched plans to strengthen security in Greenland. How do you see Denmark's answer?

Popel: The members of the Greenland and Green Government of the Danish Parliament have indicated the need for an increased priority for monitoring Greenland and the waters off the shores of Greenland for years.

In 2019, the Danish government decided to increase Greenland's monitoring and distribute funds for it, but in the last four years, despite Greenland's political pressure on the Danish government, nothing has been done to improve monitoring.

The United States has the opportunity – by agreement with Greenland and Denmark – to establish more bases, but did not take advantage of the individual version.

Al Jazeera: What can you tell us about the US base in Greenland?

Popel: The United States created a Thule Air Base in 1953 after the original inhabitants of the region, Inghuit, were forcibly moved from the Danish state to make room for the base.

The basis, now called the Pituffik Space Base, has early warning systems, the ability to monitor space and command of satellites. The civilian part of the base has sometimes provided work for both Greenland and Danish workers.

AL JAZEERA: Are you concerned about the long -term climate?

Popel: Increased production of fossil fuels in the United States will mean increased CO2 emissions and will lead to an increase in temperatures and thus increased melting of all types of ice.

Trump dreams of being able to export more oil and gas, and increased shipping traffic will further contribute to the impact on the climate.

Marco Rubio's statements that the transport of fossil fuels should be largely carried out from the north and along the west coast of Greenland will also mean a risk of environmental disasters in the vulnerable Arctic maritime environment and in any case affect the wild – not the last Place marine mammals that are very sensitive to noise.