Version imprimableThe massive popular support for, among other things, the demonstrations against Trump’s plans for conquest has very clearly focused on the Greenlanders’ right to self-determination. Hurrah for that! And even the Prime Minister has, in recent months – side by side with the leaders of the Self-Government – chosen this focus. But there is absolutely no reason to trust the Danish government and the other alliance partners or to embellish their motives.
As we described in a commentary about a year ago [1], Denmark’s relationship with Greenland continues to be characterized and driven by imperialist interests – first and foremost, perhaps, the interest in maintaining Denmark’s geopolitical significance. This is despite the limited self-government that the Greenlanders have managed to fight for.
The helpful EU partners have also occasionally revealed the EU’s undoubtedly deep interest in the resources in the Greenlandic subsoil – as well as the country’s strategically important location in relation to the defence of Europe.
Stand away from the hypocrisy
For true friends of Greenlandic independence – and not least for the Greenlanders themselves – it has been challenging to listen to the entire political public in Denmark praising the Greenlanders’ right to determine their own country, the rights of indigenous peoples, etc. in recent weeks. As if this were and always had been the basis for the “Kingdom”, as it is so beautifully described. The hypocrisy seems glaring when this fairy tale is compared with the Danish-Greenlandic colonial history. And with the continued Danish imperialist dominance, even after the self-government arrangement.
It is also outrageous when Denmark, England, France, the Netherlands and others now stand guard over respect for “an international legal order”. And claim that “we in the West” have safeguarded this since World War II. For example, a number of the same countries – not least Denmark – have been eager participants in the “coalition of the willing” which (led by the USA), without scruples under international law, violated the very territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Afghanistan – and, for many, later also Iraq!
Should the left wing – out of respect for the tactical alliance against the US – completely ignore this hypocrisy? Should we pretend that we completely share this view of the ‘Kingdom’ – and, for that matter, of our ‘EU friends’? This is overwhelmingly what the Red-Green Alliance has chosen to do.
And that is a mistake!
Firstly, because we suddenly come across as Eurocentric hypocrites who turn a blind eye to Western (including European and Danish) colonialism and imperialism, both historically and in the present day. This will obviously and with good reason complicate our solidarity-based, internationalist cooperation across borders. It will also strain our relationship with Greenlanders and other ethnic minorities in Denmark and Greenland, who are typically already painfully aware of this hypocrisy.
No rose-tinted view of Denmark and the EU
Secondly, to lay the groundwork for the continued struggle for the Greenlanders’ real right to self-determination. A struggle that – regardless of whether Trump and the US abandon a formal takeover, and even regardless of Trump and the US altogether – will be necessary.
Unless Trump succeeds fully in his conquest and, at the same time, completely breaks the economic and military imperialist alliance across the Atlantic, the Danish government and the EU will play a decisive role in shaping the future of Greenlandic self-determination – both in terms of military armament and the exploitation of Greenland’s subsoil resources.
For that reason alone, it would be reprehensible to contribute to the illusion that the Greenlanders can trust the powers that be in Denmark and the EU. For there is little doubt that the goal of these parties will be to find a solution that primarily serves their own imperialist interests in the Greenlandic subsoil and military control of the Arctic. Not the self-government of the Greenlanders, who have been very reluctant to accept both the arms race in the Arctic and environmentally hazardous mining.
No to the arms race in the Arctic
The arms race in the Arctic is a threat to both the security of the Greenlanders and world peace and must be stopped!
It may have sounded very reasonable to send some (more) Danish soldiers to “stand symbolic guard over Greenland against a US military takeover” – if the Greenlandic self-government, and even the left-wing party IA, wanted it.
They clearly did – and apparently everyone is also enthusiastic about the fact that, instead, a large contingent of European NATO troops will be coming to Greenland and the surrounding waters. The Red-Green Alliance’s enthusiasm was due to the massive “European solidarity on Greenland’s sovereignty”. This angle was also strongly emphasized by many journalists.
BUT: Officially, the large troop deployment is being presented as something completely different from protecting Greenland against the US, namely as protecting Greenland, NATO and, to a large extent, the US against Russia and China. In other words, as an attempt to demonstrate what Denmark and others have already said, namely that the Danish Realm willingly fulfils all of Trump’s dreams of insane armament – so he does not need to take over Greenland at all!
It is clear that the action serves both purposes – and that it is therefore a smart move if one wants to convince the US that a military takeover would be very difficult and costly - and that the US’s wildest dreams of arming Greenland and the Arctic will be fulfilled with joy and enthusiasm by Denmark with the support of the other European NATO countries.
However, this is where the chain breaks for a party like the Red-Green Alliance. Or rather: it should have broken.
We are staunchly opposed to the imperialist blocs arming themselves for war against each other. That is why we are also fighting for a demilitarized Arctic, for mutual disarmament – and thus against the obvious boost to the arms race that the recently launched NATO escalation around Greenland also represents.
Not a defence of either the Greenlanders or world peace
Denmark’s, NATO’s and the US’s joint armament plans around Greenland have very little to do with defending Greenland – and absolutely nothing to do with protecting the Greenlandic population.
For example, monitoring and combating Russian submarines in the waters around Greenland, which can prevent Russian submarines from coming close to threatening the US, and the construction of a missile shield over Greenland (“Golden Dome”) to protect the US from Russian missiles, are in no way “defensive defence” of the Kingdom. This armament in the Arctic will rather make Greenland and the Greenlanders a sure-fire first target in a war.
What does it mean for world peace if a “Golden Dome” actually succeeds in protecting the currently most aggressive imperialist power, the United States, from getting anything back in return if they start World War III? This increases the risk that a president like Trump, in an armed conflict with Russia/China, might take the chance and plunge the world into a nuclear war. And just last week, Trump highlighted the “Golden Dome” as a US “national security interest” that necessitates the conquest of Greenland.
Respect the Greenlanders’ respect for nature
Despite economic pressure, the Greenlandic self-government has on several occasions dug its heels in when greedy companies of various nationalities have had plans for environmentally damaging extraction of raw materials from the Greenlandic subsoil. And there is little doubt that one of the more rational arguments for Trump’s desire to gain overall formal authority over Greenland is precisely to remove all obstacles – such as environmental legislation – to American companies’ exploitation of Greenland’s raw materials in the long term. Therefore, there is also reason to fear that part of a negotiated solution may include unpleasant concessions to wishes in this direction. Regardless of whether Trump has already discussed this with the NATO Secretary General or not... And there is reason to fear that Denmark/the EU will be more interested in getting a piece of the pie themselves than in securing the Greenlanders’ veto.
In this context, it is not enough that the Greenlanders’ right to decide on environmental legislation, etc. is preserved. Greenland must also be guaranteed an economy that does not force them to sell out their nature conservation efforts due to economic pressure.
Real Greenlandic self-government requires economic independence. At present, the economy is a major barrier to the Self-Government taking on new tasks. A first requirement must be that the block grant be increased – and made unconditional, so that it also goes to an independent Greenland. An obvious additional requirement is Danish "colonial era compensation” to enable the Self-Government to invest heavily in sustainable, publicly owned and controlled business development that can create a stable economic foundation for a self-financing, independent Greenland.
The fight is not over
It is clear that right now it is a matter of creating as strong a front as possible against Trump’s threats, for the respect of Greenland’s borders and the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination.
And, of course, it is entirely up to the Greenlanders to decide what they are ultimately willing to accept here and now in order to achieve a negotiated solution, in a situation where they face overwhelming threats from the US – and false promises from all sides.
But that does not mean that we, including the Red-Green Alliance, should cheer for a “solution” that essentially cements imperialist interests – neither those of the US nor those of Denmark and the EU.
The Red-Green Alliance should be clear from the outset about the problems of a “successful negotiated solution”, a “deal” with Trump that does not affect the sovereignty of the Realm, but entails a catastrophic Arctic arms race, increased opportunities for imperialist exploitation of Greenland’s natural resources and de facto shackling of Greenland in the so-called Realm.
The struggle for real Greenlandic independence and against environmental disasters and insane armament continues – under slightly different conditions, but regardless of the outcome of the ongoing arm wrestling. It will be necessary to maintain the impressive popular support behind the Greenlanders’ demands for self-determination – and for the further demands that can make self-determination a reality. Our most important task is to build popular, anti-imperialist solidarity and gather support for these demands in Denmark – and in the other imperialist countries.
Stop the imperialist plundering of the United States - Defend Greenland’s right to independence
– Terminate the base agreement with the United States
– Stop Denmark’s - and Europe’s - arms purchases from the United States
– Economic EU sanctions against the US
Denmark must ensure Greenland’s economic opportunity for independence
– Increased and unconditional continued block grants - and colonial compensation that the country can use for sustainable investments in an independent economy
No to exploitation and environmental destruction, no to imperialism through contracts
– Greenlanders must be guaranteed full democratic control over the country’s subsoil
No to armament in the Arctic
– Greenlanders must have the right to restrict/reject all military installations in their country and waters
26 January 2026
Translated from “Forsvar Grønland mod USA’s røvertogt - uden illusioner om Rigsfællesskabet og EU”.
