Former MP of Greenland Slams Americans as "Greedy"

The renewed focus on Greenland has crystallized a clash between great-power geopolitics and local historical memory. Greenlandic politician and former MP Tillie Martinussen framed opposition to U.S. pressure as rooted less in minerals than in lived experience. “We do not want to be rich like Americans,” she said. “Look how greedy they are, even trying to invade their friends.”

Her remarks reflect a broader anxiety in Greenland that external interest, intensified under U.S. President Donald Trump, could override Indigenous rights in a territory shaped by roughly 200 years of forced assimilation under Danish rule, including child removals, identity erasure, and population control, abuses only recently acknowledged after decades of denial.

Martinussen explicitly rejected the transactional logic often attached to Greenland’s resources. “Even if there are minerals and oil under our land - and they are worth far more - we still would not sell ourselves,” she said, invoking parallels with Alaska and Native American histories.

“We know what happened to Indigenous people in Alaska and Native Americans. Their land was taken, and they were not treated well.”

Former MP Tillie Martinussen

She also linked current fears to U.S. domestic politics: “We see who Trump surrounds himself with, white power people, and we are not white. We are people of color. We know our rights would likely be taken away.”

Allies Push Back, Streets Mobilize

Public unease has spilled beyond Greenland. On January 17, thousands of people protested in Copenhagen against Trump’s threats to seize Greenland, underscoring how the issue has become a domestic political test for Denmark as well as a symbol of sovereignty within the Danish realm.

The backlash has taken economic form as well. A grassroots boycott of U.S. products is spreading in Denmark, with more than 95,000 people joining a “Boycott American products” group. Participants are cutting U.S. food brands such as Coca-Cola and Heinz, American wines, and digital services including Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube, shifting instead to Danish and European alternatives.

“Stop Using the China Threat”

China has positioned itself rhetorically against U.S. pressure on Greenland, adding a global dimension to the dispute. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said it urges the United States “to stop using the so-called ‘China threat’ as a pretext to pursue selfish interests.”

While Beijing’s statement does not reference Greenland’s internal politics, it seemingly frames Washington’s actions as part of a broader pattern of strategic overreach, aligning Chinese diplomacy with European and Greenlandic concerns without endorsing any transfer of sovereignty.

Tariffs as Leverage

The diplomatic fallout widened further with Trump’s announcement of punitive trade measures. Starting on February 1, 2026, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland will face a 10% tariff on goods sent to the United States. On June 1, 2026, that tariff is set to rise to 25%.

The timing links Greenland directly to economic coercion against U.S. allies, transforming a territorial dispute into a test of alliance cohesion. Together, the protests, boycotts, and tariff threats illustrate how Greenland has shifted from a peripheral Arctic territory into a focal point where Indigenous rights, alliance politics, and great-power rivalry intersect.