NUUK,
Residents of Greenland have expressed a mixture of anxiety and cautious relief following talks at the White House between officials from the United States, Denmark and Greenland, amid renewed attention from US President Donald Trump over the Arctic island’s future.
The meeting, held on Wednesday, brought together the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. It came after President Trump repeatedly suggested that the United States could take control of Greenland, comments that have caused unease on the island.
Greenland is an autonomous territory under Danish sovereignty and has a population of about 57,000. In recent weeks, Trump’s remarks about the island being acquired by the US “one way or the other” have heightened tensions and raised concerns about sovereignty and security.
“It’s very frightening because it’s such a big thing,” said Vera Stidsen, a teacher in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital. “I hope that in the future we can continue to live as we have until now, in peace and without being disturbed,” she said.
Following the talks, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said there remained a “fundamental disagreement” between Copenhagen and Washington over Greenland’s status. President Trump, however, struck a more optimistic tone, saying he believed “something will work out”.
Across Nuuk, Greenlandic flags were prominently displayed in shop windows, on balconies and on vehicles, reflecting a strong sense of national unity during the high-level discussions. In one store, t-shirts bearing the slogan “Greenland is not for sale” were nearly sold out, according to local reports.
Some residents said the meeting helped ease fears, at least temporarily. Ivaana Egede Larsen, who watched coverage of the press conference in a café, said she felt reassured by the tone of the talks. “I feel calmer now and more safe,” she said, adding that Trump’s recent comments had left many people feeling unsettled.
Others remained cautiously hopeful. Frederik Henningsen, a janitor in Nuuk, said that although no agreement was reached, he hoped diplomacy would prevail. “I want to live in peace,” he said.
The talks appear to have eased immediate tensions, but Greenlanders say uncertainty remains as long as questions about the island’s future continue to surface on the international stage.
