From his office in the parliamentary building in the capital city of Greenland, Kuno Fencker can look out on the statue gazing out at the sea, a man of stone holding a shepherd’s staff in his right hand and a Bible under his arm. It is a depiction of the Danish-Norwegian missionary Hans Egede, measuring around two meters in height on a hilltop over the Bay of Nuuk.

Egede came to Greenland in 1721, having been tasked by the Danish king with colonizing the Inuit there. For many in Greenland, Egede represents the beginning of all evil, followed by centuries during which the country has remained a Danish crown colony.

Fencker is a politician with the leftist-nationalist party Siumut, a straightforward 50-year-old who is constantly on the move. For him, the statue is a nightmare, to the point that he sometimes finds it difficult to concentrate fully on his work. "I’d love to see that statue in a museum,” he says. "That’s where it belongs.”

Fencker has long been fighting for Greenland’s independence from Denmark, for self-determination and an independent economy of the kind that many people here would like to see. Ever since U.S. President Donald Trump has taken an interest in Greenland, Fencker has been in fine fettle. Finally, it seems, there might be someone out there who could help him get Greenland out from under the Danish yoke.

Three weeks ago, Don Junior, Trump’s oldest son, paid a brief visit to Nuuk. He posed for a photo in front of the Egede statue, but was apparently ignorant of its symbolism. A local photographer who was there for the moment said that Don Junior thought it was the city founder and that the Trump scion is apparently not particularly interested in Greenland’s history. By that point, his father had already voiced his interest in buying Greenland for "national security interests” – and that he wouldn’t shy away from applying military or economic pressure.

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   Prime Minister Mute B. Egede says “Greenland is making progress and more and more people are receiving an education. They believe in themselves and are advancing on their own."

The people of Greenland tend to be on Fencker’s side. They too wouldn’t mind a helpful ally beyond the Danes – but many of them are more afraid of the U.S. than he is. In an interview, the Greenland foreign minister described losing authority in the country to foreign control as the worst-case scenario. In a pub, a guest even sought to take this reporter’s notebook, thinking she was from the U.S. "We aren’t for sale,” is a sentence that can be heard frequently in the city at the moment.

Fencker understands but believes there is no need for fear-mongering. Trump’s interests are great for Greenland, he argues. "I don’t remember any time when we’ve had so much exposure,” he says. "We want to diversify our economy and market Greenland as a tourism destination. All that was given a boost by Trump senior and junior.”

Many people in Greenland have for decades had the same approach to the Danes as Fencker to the Egede statue: They are confronted every day with their painful colonial history and it just never goes away. Now, though, they might be able to change it. Fencker says that Denmark has recently begun looking at Greenland differently. Suddenly, Danish politicians have begun listening to the people of Greenland. "Thanks Trump!” he says with a grin.

Greenland officially became an autonomous part of Denmark in 1953. Or, as Fencker says: "We were annexed.” Greenland did receive greater independence in a number of areas in 1979 and then again in 2009, but Denmark is still largely responsible for foreign policy and defense.

Greenlanders feel as though they are trapped in a kind of forced marriage, says Fencker – with Denmark playing the role of the overpowering husband. "Maybe the U.S. can liberate us from this predicament.”

It is a message Donald Trump would no doubt love to hear. He seems to have had something similar in mind when he announced his interest in buying Greenland and its 57,000 residents – a desire he has repeated on a number of occasions. It is just one of the several imperialistic yens Trump has announced in recent weeks: Trump has said that he wants to bring the Panama Canal back into possession of the U.S.; he threatened close ally Colombia with draconian tariffs if the country refused to agree to take back deported migrants; he decreed that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed as the "Gulf of America”; and he has now slapped customs duties on imports from Canada and Mexico.

He also reportedly adopted an aggressive tone in a 45-minute telephone call with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and threatened targeted punitive tariffs, even after she offered closer cooperation on military issues and raw materials. Denmark has resolved to avoid anything that might escalate the situation, preferring instead to wait and see what Trump really wants. But concern is apparently growing such that Frederiksen last week set out on a trip to Berlin, Paris and Brussels in an effort to shore up support from her European allies. The U.S. president has since told journalists that he believes Greenland will voluntarily opt to become a U.S. vassal. Control of the island, he says, is an "absolute necessity” for Western security.

The U.S. has maintained a military base on Greenland since the 1950s, allowing the military to track possible missiles coming from Russia. But Chinese and Russian ships have recently been seen near the island, Trump has grumbled. Should the ice continue to melt, new trade routes may emerge.

Trump’s calculus seems clear: If he had control of Greenland, he would gain more leverage against Russia and China. The area would likely become home to a larger military presence. One European general even mentioned the possibility of European soldiers being stationed in Greenland. Trump, for his part, says that the U.S. could be the ones to "bring freedom” to Greenland. The Danes "put two extra dog sleds there,” Trump said, "and they thought that was protection.”

Politicians in Nuuk have been saying for years that Denmark must do more for Greenland’s defense. Most, though, aren’t interested in becoming Americans to that end. How seriously should Greenland and Denmark take the threats from the United States? And what about the people in Greenland? What are their views of the new policy coming from Washington?

Thus far, there has been little sign of the isolationist foreign policy course from Trump that some experts had predicted. On the contrary, Trump appears to be enjoying his current dominance on the foreign policy stage. His brash style has even produced an initial success in the form of a ceasefire in Gaza. And his provocation has had an effect on Greenland as well: Greenlanders have begun feeling a new sense of confidence. They can now pressure the Danes because they know that a superpower had taken an interest in them.

Voters in Greenland will be electing a new parliament in spring and the question of independence is an important campaign issue. Surveys indicate that a majority is in favor of independence, though opinions diverge when it comes to conditions and timing. There are some who are hoping for a rapid deal, potentially with the U.S., aimed a greater economic independence. Others, however, urge caution – with an eye toward protecting the environment, protecting the Inuit culture and maintaining ties with Denmark. Either way, consistent with a deal with Denmark, Greenlanders must vote on their independence in a referendum, which could take place as early as April.

Greenland Prime Minister Mute B. Egede welcoming visitors to parliament. He would like to see his country gain economic independence.  Foto: Juliette Pavy / DER SPIEGEL

Fencker believes the future of his country could unfold in one of two ways: Either Greenland would become an equal partner with Denmark in the Danish commonwealth. Or, if Denmark rejects such an outcome, it could sign an association agreement with the U.S. of the kind Washington maintains with the Marshall Islands and Micronesia.

High up in the steak restaurant in Hotel Hans Egede, waiters distribute small pieces of paper – for guests to note down if they would like their steaks with or without butter. On January 7, in the back of the restaurant across from the counter, Don Junior gathered around a dozen Greenlanders with red "Make America Great Again” caps for a steak dinner. He held his phone up high when his father called and began speaking of foreign ships in the Arctic that were "not the right ships.” An absurd scene – which grew even more absurd when it came out that Don Junior’s staff had recruited the guests like extras from the supermarket next door. During the day, vagrants gather there and sell frozen reindeer meat. They were more than happy to don the red caps in exchange for a hot meal.

Why Trump’s aggressive offer to purchase Greenland is being discussed so widely at all can hardly be understood without considering the decades-long trauma of a people subjugated by its former colonial power. Not only were the rights of women severely curtailed, but young Greenlanders who grew up in Denmark still have tales to tell of persistent everyday racism. "Have you already had a beer today?” or "Don’t you take a dogsled to school?” are standard questions they are faced with in Denmark, they say.

Trump’s statements have turned a smoldering political fire between the two countries into a blazing wildfire. It is a fire that is on full display on a Sunday in January. Crowds are streaming into the Katuaq Cultural Center, located in the center of town across from the parliamentary building. For the first time politicians and citizens from Greenland will be holding a live meeting with politicians and citizens from Denmark to discuss the future of their relationship. The debate is to be broadcast live on television that evening in both countries. The cinema is packed, with many Greenlanders sitting on the floor, eager to be part of the unusual event. The primary focus of the debate: How should Greenland react to Trump’s approaches?

To start with, those present are asked to imagine what they would like Greenland to look like in 25 years. Greenland Prime Minister Múte B. Egede speaks Greenlandic during the debate, which must be translated for the Danes. "Greenland,” he says, "is making progress and more and more people are receiving an education. They believe in themselves and are advancing on their own. In addition to fisheries, there is more tourism and raw materials.” Knowing that Greenland is unable to defend itself, he adds: "We cannot become completely independent.” The relationship between Greenland and Denmark, he says, will remain. Families, he points out, are connected across both countries. Nevertheless, he intones, Greenland wants to become economically independent.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen envisions a better future for Greenland. "I want the doctors you visit to be Greenlandic doctors, not Danish doctors,” he says. Independence in the modern world means the right to decide for yourself who you wish to rely on, he says.

Everyone is polite as can be as positions are exchanged.

Then, Greenlander Henriette Berthelsen stands up in the Danish studio. When she was 13, she had an IUD inserted against her will. Berthelsen is part of a group that is suing the Danish state to gain recognition for state-sponsored abuse. "I would love to ask Danish politicians when they will demonstrate accountability to me and the 4,000 women who had an IUD inserted without consent,” she says.

Foreign Minister Rasmussen makes reference to an ongoing inquiry and the Danish justice minister calls it a "dark chapter” in Denmark’s history. Hardly any of the Danish politicians present show empathy. The people gathered in the cinema in Nuuk groan. Some of the Greenlandic politicians condemn the "IUD scandal” – an attempt by the Danish colonial masters to slow Inuit population growth – as genocide. This deeply felt trauma is yet another factor driving the Greenlanders away from Denmark.

Then comes the next major issue: defense. The Danish defense minister admits to some shortcomings. "We have to accept,” he says, "that we have to invest more in our defense, on both the national level and in the commonwealth and NATO.” Denmark, he says, has not lived up to its security obligations in Greenland and the Arctic. It was not sufficiently prioritized in the last 40 years, he continues, and he is concerned about Russian armament. But he doesn’t say he intends to leave it up to Trump. Instead, he intimates that Copenhagen in the coming weeks intends to introduce a 2-billion-euro plan for the defense of the Arctic in the coming weeks.

Former Danish defense minister Hans Engell warns that it won’t turn out well for the U.S. if they join the U.S. "They won’t treat you well,” he says. Greenland should be realistic, he admonishes. The constitution forbids them from simply turning their back on the commonwealth.

"Unfortunately, this debate is driving us further away from the Danish politicians and the commonwealth,” says the Greenland prime minister.

A short time later, the debate is suddenly concluded. The angry crowds stream out of the cinema.

"We are part of the biggest paradigm shift in Greenland since colonization."

The Danish television station TV2, which broadcast the debate, then analyzes the discussion in its liveblog: "It became clear that Greenlanders and Danes have differing opinions as to whether relations between the two countries are equal.” Backstage, the Greenland premier says the debate was okay.

For him, it is a foregone conclusion that Greenland will emancipate itself. But it won’t happen overnight.

While the economy in Greenland has grown recently, it is clear, he says, that more development is needed. Workers are needed and education levels must increase, the head of the Greenland Economic Council said recently. The share of school dropouts remains high and the number of those who go on to study at university is low. For the time being, the island hardly boasts the kind of economy it needs to survive on its own.

Subsidies from Denmark currently account for around a quarter of budget revenues and the economy is heavily focused on the export of fishery products. Experts from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin say the country needs broad investments and economic diversification.

Greenland’s trade minister believes the country has potential when it comes to renewable energies, particularly hydroelectric, a function of the huge amount of meltwater in Greenland. The melting ice also means raw materials are becoming more easily accessible. The government has already begun focusing its efforts on sustainable luxury Arctic tourism.

"I love my job,” says Casper Frank Møller as he navigates tourists through the Arctic on a boat lined with fine wood. The wind is whipping his face as the boat approaches an iceberg off its bow, shimmering in various shades of blue.

Greenland is home to breathtaking natural beauty complete with snow-covered mountain peaks, stunning glaciers and icebergs, birds of prey and the shimmering Arctic light.

Møller grew up with this beauty and has spent lots of time in the island’s fjords, hunting and fishing. He has camped in the snow and backpacked across Greenland mountain ranges. When he realized three years ago that a four-hour direct connection with Copenhagen was soon to be established, he founded his company, Raw Arctic.

These days, the country has been gripped by a goldrush atmosphere. "We are part of the biggest paradigm shift in Greenland since colonization,” says Møller. "Trump has really put Greenland on the map. The infrastructure is being developed dramatically. The way Greenland is seen, the way it is accessed, how the entire economy looks – all that is changing a lot.”

Starting in summer of 2025, there will be a direct connection between Nuuk and New York. Møller is hoping that more customers from the U.S. will begin showing up, in part, he says, because they are prepared to spend more money than the Scandinavians. A week of back country fly fishing with Raw Arctic costs around $6,000 per person.

Climate change is moving around four times faster in Greenland than elsewhere in the world. Small icebergs have already made some fjord unnavigable and seal hunters have begun abandoning the trade because of fragile ice. Møller has to keep close track of which fjords can be visited and which must be avoided.

Like many Greenlanders, he is closely connected to nature. His horror scenario is giant mining ships laden with raw materials sailing through the fjords and disturbing the last untouched ecosystems. "Usually, he gets one tenth of what he says,” the 27-year-old says, referring to Trump. "So what is he going to end up with?” He believes Greenlanders must show strength and not simply sell land to the U.S. for exploitation. But that could ultimately be what happens.

Because there are other voices in Greenland who are eager to have the U.S. get heavily involved in raw materials exploitation on the island. Particularly those who are tired of waiting and want immediate independence from Denmark are in favor of quick, pragmatic solutions. Still, much must still happen before Greenland begins to see significant profits from its minerals. Companies interested in investing here will need patience: Decades might pass between the exploration phase and the first exports.

A new, more unstable future is dawning in the Arctic. Even if it remains unclear what Trump might have in mind for Greenland, there is virtually no scenario in which things will remain as they are. Inhabitants agree that they don’t want to become Americans, but what will be the price for separation from Denmark?

Shortly before Donald Trump was sworn in, opposition politician Kuno Fencker wrote in a Facebook post that he had heard that Danish politicians were on their way to Washington to speak with Republicans about the future of Greenland. He wrote that he immediately bought a plane ticket to travel there himself. He doesn’t want Greenland to be ignored.

Everyone is so friendly here, he says in a video call from his hotel in the U.S. capital. "In Denmark, we are looked down upon. And here, I experienced so much more respect.” He holds up a polar bear claw that he wore on a chain during many of his meetings with Republicans. Nobody, he says, made any racist comments, expressing curiosity instead. He says he tried to make it as clear as possible that Greenland wasn’t for sale but that it was open to economic cooperation.

That message, he says, was well received.

(Source: Spiegel International)