Während Trump Grönland im Auge hat, debattieren Grönländer in Dänemark über die Unabhängigkeit

*The Arctic island territory wants to be independent, not a US satellite. Trump’s rhetoric is making everything more complicated.*

*Sanne Wass for Bloomberg News*

At the Greenlandic House in Copenhagen, politics lingers in the silences. Newspapers brought in from Nuuk, the island’s capital, carry stories about current US foreign policy and historic Danish scandals. On a nearby shelf, a magazine cover displays images of Greenlanders protesting against US President Donald Trump, whose oft-repeated desire to take over the vast island has turned it into an international security issue.

Above it all looms a towering painting of an Inuit settlement nestled among mountains, with people dressed in traditional attire. At the center of the scene, a Danish military ship sits anchored in the bay. The ship represents Denmark’s long-standing control over Greenland, a status quo now being openly challenged.

Days before Bloomberg visited, Trump said — again — that the US should assume that control. “We do need Greenland, absolutely,” Trump said. “We need it for defense.” Danish and Greenlandic officials have heard such remarks before, but the timing of Trump’s latest comments, coming straight after the US capture of President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, lent new weight to words once brushed off as bluster. On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt refused to rule out the use of military force to acquire Greenland.

The Greenlandic House, tucked away down a side street in central Copenhagen, is a place where Greenlanders in the Danish capital can unite around a shared language and a sense of community. In the past year they have also shared their views on Trump and his plans for Greenland. Despite universal condemnation of his idea by Danish leaders and European allies, there is room for diverse views in the community itself, between those alarmed by the prospect and those who see opportunity.

[Read the full story here.](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-08/as-trump-eyes-greenland-greenlanders-in-denmark-debate-independence?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc2Nzk1NDAzOSwiZXhwIjoxNzY4NTU4ODM5LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUOEpJSlJLSVAzSVYwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJEMzU0MUJFQjhBQUY0QkUwQkFBOUQzNkI3QjlCRjI4OCJ9.Z6W3NGSZ9wIlXizASzPpGMlzGBCJ5urJI5If93YTVfo)