{"id":199708,"date":"2026-02-08T23:25:03","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T23:25:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/what-is-it-like-living-in-greenland-and-being-threatened-by-trump-the-guardian\/"},"modified":"2026-02-08T23:25:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T23:25:03","slug":"what-is-it-like-living-in-greenland-and-being-threatened-by-trump-the-guardian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/what-is-it-like-living-in-greenland-and-being-threatened-by-trump-the-guardian\/","title":{"rendered":"What is it like living in Greenland and being threatened by Trump? – The Guardian"},"content":{"rendered":"

In today\u2019s newsletter: The largely autonomous Danish territory, sparsely populated but strategically vast, sits between North America, Europe and Russia \u2013 and as the Arctic ice melts, its importance is growing fast
Good morning. Donald Trump\u2019s recent outburst that it would be \u201cunacceptable\u201d if the US can\u2019t gain control over Greenland continues to drag the world\u2019s largest island into the centre of global geopolitics. The largely autonomous Danish territory, sparsely populated but strategically vast, sits between North America, Europe and Russia \u2013 and as the Arctic ice melts, its importance is growing fast.
Climate heating is shrinking the Arctic ice cap, opening up sea routes that were once the preserve of icebreakers and exposing valuable mineral resources beneath Greenland\u2019s retreating ice sheet. Now what was once seen as a frozen backwater is being viewed increasingly as a strategic prize, helping to explain why Trump\u2019s previously outlandish-sounding threats are being taken far more seriously in Europe\u2019s capitals. They have begun to push back against his declaration of tariffs<\/a>.
For today\u2019s newsletter I spoke to our Nordic correspondent, Miranda Bryant<\/strong><\/em>, who has just returned from Greenland\u2019s capital, Nuuk, where families are quietly wondering whether they will have to flee as politicians find themselves in the sights of a superpower. First, the headlines.
UK politics <\/strong><\/em>| Robert Jenrick was described as \u201cthe new sheriff in town\u201d and the politician needed to give Reform UK political \u201cheft\u201d, according to a leaked media plan<\/a>. Romford MP Andrew Rosindell has also defected<\/a>.
Jeffrey Epstein <\/strong><\/em>| A New York City artist who said Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell shopped her around to men is among the survivors claiming that \u200bEsptein used the lure of a university education<\/a> to ensnare her\u200b.
Iran <\/strong><\/em>| President Masoud Pezeshkian warned on Sunday that any attack on the country\u2019s supreme leader<\/a>, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would be a declaration of war.
Social media <\/strong><\/em>| More than 60 Labour MPs have written to UK prime minister Keir Starmer<\/a> urging him to back a social media ban for under-16s, with peers due to vote on the issue this week.
China<\/strong><\/em> | China\u2019s proposed mega embassy in London is expected to get the go-ahead this week<\/a>, after years of wrangling.
As the map above shows, Greenland has always had the potential to be strategically important \u2013 but until recently it was locked away by ice. Now it is becoming a gateway between continents and a platform for projecting military and economic power.
\u201cI went to Nuuk this time last year, just before Trump became president but after Donald Trump Jr had visited<\/a>,\u201d Miranda tells me. \u201cReturning this January, the tone and the mood was quite markedly different in terms of how seriously Trump\u2019s threats were being taken.\u201d
Why Greenland, and why now?<\/strong>
The ice retreat doesn\u2019t just make the map look different \u2013 it makes shipping routes viable, exposes seabeds and minerals, and brings the high north into the everyday business of global trade and security. Greenland has gone from being a distant outpost to a potentially vital piece of infrastructure.
Trump is not inventing the Arctic\u2019s strategic importance. In any future conflict between nuclear powers, missiles would pass over the polar region. The US already operates early-warning systems at Pituffik in north-west Greenland. Russia<\/a> has rebuilt cold war-era bases across its Arctic coastline. China has declared itself a \u201cnear-Arctic state\u201d and is expanding its polar presence. For Trump, access and cooperation are no longer enough. Control is the prize.
Greenland\u2019s political fault lines<\/strong>
That has a knock-on effect on Greenland\u2019s own politics. Miranda tells me that all of the major parties support eventual independence from Denmark<\/a> on one timescale or another. However, in the short term, Trump\u2019s rhetoric has forced a brutal reprioritisation: security first, sovereignty later.
Premier of Greenland Jens-Frederik Nielsen stated: \u201cGreenland does not want to be part of the US \u2026 We choose the Greenland we know today, which is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark\u201d. This statement gave people something solid to hold on to. Naleraq, the second biggest party in the Inatsisartut after last year\u2019s election<\/a>, thinks Greenland should negotiate directly with the US, without Denmark. That\u2019s exactly the kind of crack Trump can try to prise open.
Denmark\u2019s own military presence in Greenland is, Miranda tells me, more than the two dog sleds Trump has mocked it as. But it is not exactly a \u201cdominant presence\u201d on the island.
The resources at stake<\/strong>
The melting ice is also turning Greenland into an economic frontier.
New shipping routes promise to redraw the global trade map, while the island\u2019s rare earth reserves<\/a> \u2013 critical to everything from smartphones to guided missiles \u2013 have become a focus of growing foreign interest. Greenland ranks among the world\u2019s top countries for rare earth deposits, but until now, much of it has simply been too frozen to exploit.
Trump has already shown how he links security and resources. One of the first acts of his second term was to force Ukraine into an agreement<\/a> giving the US a share of future profits from its minerals. Greenland fits the same pattern. Over the weekend Trump began threatening a tariff trade war with Europe over Greenland, a move described by British prime minister Keir Starmer as wrong<\/a> in a call with the US president on Sunday.
When a threat stops feeling hypothetical<\/strong>
This is not an abstract power game. In Nuuk, families are now tracking military flights on their phones and talking to their children about what it would mean to become American.
Miranda says the difference is not just Trump\u2019s words but the sense that they might now be acted on. \u201cPeople told me that Venezuela made a huge difference to how serious the threat feels,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen he first started saying he wanted the US to acquire Greenland, it was strange, and almost laughable. Now it feels real.\u201d
Trump\u2019s threats may still prove to be bluster. But in a world where international law feels increasingly fragile, even the possibility of a superpower deciding to take what it wants is enough to make a small, peaceful society feel exposed.
\u201cPeople are thinking through things they never imagined having to think about,\u201d she says. \u201cDo you leave before it happens? Do you wait? If soldiers arrive, do you submit? Do you protest? Will there be shooting? There\u2019s been no guidance from the authorities, so people are trying to work it out for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Europe\u2019s impossible dilemma<\/strong>
Greenlandic leaders were visibly emotional after the Washington meeting. Miranda points out that Greenland\u2019s foreign minister Vivian Motzfeldt later gave an emotional interview telling a broadcaster how intense the pressure had been. This is not normal diplomacy. This is people being leaned on by a superpower.
When I recently spoke to our diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour, about Europe\u2019s response to Trump\u2019s actions in Venezuela, he explained<\/a> how realpolitik and fear leave leaders with limited room for manoeuvre. The Guardian\u2019s defence and security editor, Dan Sabbagh, noted<\/a> this week that Trump\u2019s approach \u201cunderlines a crude return to cold war style military concerns in the White House.\u201d
Denmark can offer more troops, more bases and more cooperation \u2013 and is already trying to do so \u2013 but it cannot easily confront a nuclear-armed partner that is openly talking about conquest. That leaves Copenhagen, Brussels and Nuuk trying to defend a principle that suddenly looks fragile: that borders cannot be changed by force, even when the ice around them is melting. And that doesn\u2019t offer much reassurance on the ground.
One woman Miranda met recently panicked after seeing a US Hercules aircraft leave the American base at Pituffik on a flight-tracking app. \u201cShe thought it was coming to Nuuk to invade,\u201d she says. \u201cThat\u2019s the level of anxiety now \u2013 people watching the skies and the seas themselves because they don\u2019t know what else to do.\u201d
Guardian newsroom: Year One of Trumpism: Is Britain Emulating the US?<\/a><\/strong>
On Wednesday 21 January, join Jonathan Freedland, Tania Branigan, Anand Menon and Nick Lowles as they reflect on the first year of Donald Trump\u2019s second presidency \u2013 and to ask if Britain could be set on the same path.
Book tickets here<\/a>
I enjoyed Steve Rose\u2019s interview<\/a> with Ed Zitron<\/strong>, the tech author, podcaster and cult AI sceptic, who one supporter called \u201ca lighthouse in a storm of insane hypercapitalist bullshit\u201d. Lucinda Everett, newsletters team<\/strong><\/em>
Davos<\/strong> always has a hint of Marie Antoinette about it \u2013 but ahead of the next World Economic Forum meeting Heather Stewart and Dan Sabbagh wonder<\/a> whether we\u2019re reaching \u201coff with her head\u201d territory, with Donald Trump intent on smashing up the establishment rules. Toby Moses, head of newsletters<\/strong><\/em>
Emily Retter\u2019s piece<\/a>, about the rising number of cases of Scabies<\/strong>, and the misery of those suffering with the condition, makes for alarming reading. Lucinda<\/strong><\/em>
Cory Doctorow offers a degree of reassurance<\/a> for the future. Even as he\u2019s sure the AI bubble<\/strong> \u2013 \u201casbestos in the walls\u201d of our society \u2013 will burst, there is hope that we can rebuild something better from the toxic wreckage. Toby<\/strong><\/em>
I read Angela Giuffrida\u2019s fascinating report<\/a> about the sightseers ditching Venice\u2019s cultural landmarks in favour of hotspots from the Bezos wedding<\/strong>. Lucinda<\/strong><\/em>
Football <\/strong><\/em>| An extra-time goal gave Senegal, who walked off the pitch after the award of a controversial penalty, a 1-0 win against Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final<\/a>.
Football <\/strong><\/em>| \u200bNewcastle had to put up with a disappointing point away at Wolves today with a 0-0 draw<\/a>, meanwhile Aston Villa lost 1-0<\/a> at Villa Park to Everton, meaning they were unable to take advantage of an opportunity to move to second in the Premier league.
Tennis <\/strong><\/em>| Emma Raducanu rallied impressively from a slow start and early deficit to open her Australian Open with a solid victory<\/a>, moving into the second round with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Mananchaya Sawangkaew.
\u201cEU weighs up \u20ac93bn retaliation for Trump\u2019s Greenland \u2018blackmail,\u201d is the splash on the Guardian<\/strong> on Monday, a story most UK papers led with. \u201cBlackmail,\u201d says the Mirror<\/strong>, \u201cEurope threatens to strike back over Greenland,\u201d has the Telegraph<\/strong>. \u201cFears Trump\u2019s tariffs threat will rip NATO apart,\u201d is the headline at the Express<\/strong>, while the Times<\/strong> runs with: \u201cPM warns of \u2018downward spiral\u2019 in US tariffs row.\u201d \u201cNATO now \u2018heading for disaster\u2019 in Trump row,\u201d writes the Mail<\/strong>. \u201cTrade war looms with America as UK and EU unite against Trump\u2019s Greenland threat,\u201d says the i<\/strong>.
\u201cFarage wants to axe Holyrood,\u201d says the Record<\/strong>, while the Metro<\/strong> has \u201cReclaiming the tea break,\u201d and finally the Sun<\/strong> with: \u201cJesy love split after twins agony.\u201d
The transgender refugees fleeing the US<\/strong>
Jane-Michelle Arc is a 47-year-old transgender woman from San Francisco. She decided to apply for asylum after an incident where she was crossing the road outside her apartment and a woman in a truck threatened to kill her. The Guardian\u2019s Helen Pidd<\/strong> meets the US citizens attempting to claim asylum in the Netherlands<\/a>.
A bit of good news to remind you that the world\u2019s not all bad<\/em>
Eugene Teo began weightlifting at 13 seeking confidence but he later became obsessed with extreme bodybuilding<\/a>. From ages 16 to 24, he trained for hours every day, followed restrictive diets, dehydrated himself for competitions and structured his life entirely around his body, damaging his health and relationships.
Despite looking muscular, he struggled with basic movement and chronic pain. Realising his obsession brought no joy, Teo shifted focus to mobility, endurance and overall health. Now a fitness coach he trains less, eats more flexibly and values function over appearance, feeling stronger, fitter and happier.
\u201cTen years ago, my body was capable of turning heads on the street,\u201d he says. \u201cThat was fun \u2013 but it was the only thing it was capable of.\u201d
Sign up here<\/a> for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday<\/strong>
And finally, the Guardian\u2019s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
Quick crossword<\/a>
Cryptic crossword<\/a>
Wordiply<\/a><\/p>\n

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In today\u2019s newsletter: The largely autonomous Danish territory, sparsely populated but strategically vast, sits between North America, Europe and Russia \u2013 and as the Arctic ice melts, its importance is growing fastGood morning. Donald Trump\u2019s recent outburst that it would be \u201cunacceptable\u201d if the US can\u2019t gain control over Greenland continues to drag the world\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":199709,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-199708","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199708","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=199708"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199708\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/199709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=199708"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=199708"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=199708"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}