Residents in Greenland's capital, Nuuk, shared their anxiety and opposition against threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has claimed that the U.S. "has to have" the island.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Foreign Minister Marco Rubio will host the Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers at the White House on Wednesday to discuss the topic.
The Prime Ministers of Denmark and Greenland voiced their firm rejection of external claims over Greenland on Tuesday afternoon, as residents in Nuuk remain disturbed.
"Overwhelming - if I can put that in one word. It is quite overwhelming, especially with the example he set with Venezuela. Last year was a whole different thing. It felt more neutral, it felt more of a negotiation. This year, it feels more of a threat," said Nuuk resident Kristoffer.
Trump's claims over the island have not only impacted global geopolitical relations. For Nuunu Binzer, living in Nuuk and studying at a university in Oslo, the issue has brought significant uncertainties as to the future of her young family.
"I don't know how to prepare myself and my son. I have a six-year-old, so I don't know how to prepare," said the young mum.
Despite NATO frameworks, residents have been worrying about the possibility of an American invasion.
"It will all happen - the United States will try to buy Greenland, or they will invade it. They (Greenlanders) have anger, they are very upset, they are frightened. But what we need to remember is that after we felt these feelings, it's OK to be scared, it's OK to be frightened. But after that, we need to think clearly and think about how we can defend our country," said another resident, Aqqalukkuluk Fontain.
Media observers noted that the pressure is also mounting in Denmark, with officials struggling to understand Washington's intentions.
"Tensions are obviously extremely high both here in Greenland and in Denmark. I mean, there is definitely a worry - a fear in Denmark - that this is going to tear basically the Western alliance apart. It's a very hot situation for the Danish government to handle, basically because they don't really get what the U.S. president wants," Jesper Steinmetz, Europe Correspondent from Danish government-owned TV channel TV2.
Unnerved Greenlanders voice rejection of Trump's claim over island
Unnerved Greenlanders voice rejection of Trump's claim over island
