As an organisation working for resource justice, human rights and environmental protection, we cannot remain silent when geopolitical power plays threaten people, ecosystems and international law. The attempt by the US administration to assert control over Greenland is not only a blatant violation of the right to self-determination, but a dangerous example of extractivism and neo-colonialism driven by access to minerals. The following statement together with NOAH/Friends of the Earth Denmark sets out why defending Greenland means defending democracy, climate action and justice for communities on the frontlines of resource exploitation.
The US administration has expressed its intent to annex Greenland “one way or another” with the main intention to exploit its minerals resources and expand US hegemony in the Northern hemisphere. This will have major repercussions as annexation of Greenland would mean a violation of international law and the United Nations Charter. Extraction of mineral resources in Greenland would entail devastating impacts on Arctic ecosystems, thereby accelerating climate breakdown.
The Greenlandic people have a right to self-determination. Opinion polling indicates that 85% of Greenland’s citizens are opposed to becoming part of the US. Public representatives have repeatedly stated that “Greenland is not for sale”. On the 17th of January there were public demonstrations in Greenland (Nuuk, Qaqortoq, Aasiaat, Sisimiut and Ilulissat) as well as Denmark (Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, Odense, Viborg, Kolding and Esbjerg).
“There simply is no such thing as a better coloniser. (…) We are seeing a repetition of colonialism and imperialism that we know, because we have already been colonised and none of us want to be colonised again.”
Sara Olvig, Leader of the Inuit Circumpolar Council in Greenland responded to the threats of annexation by the US on Friday, 16th of January.
Friends of the Earth Europe condemns any attempt to undermine the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Greenland. We stand firmly with Greenland against US imperialism. We call on European political leaders to insist consistently on international law, the UN Charter, and the right to self-determination. If the people of Greenland wish so, the EU should prepare for the possibility of Greenland’s full accession to EU.
Trump has now threatened to set a 10% import tariff on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland until a “deal is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland”. European leaders will convene the coming days to decide on a response, but one thing is clear – it is an illusion to believe that acquiescence is enough to deter US aggression. So far, EU leaders have reacted passively to unilateral decisions by the US, reluctant to criticise its neocolonial policies. Instead, a more assertive strategy is necessary to make Europe less dependent on the US. The EU should react as a block to defend Greenland’s right to self-determination and implement measures to curb the influence of US corporations.
Every euro invested in US industries fuels Trump’s fascism at home and his territorial conquest abroad. It is time for Europe to decouple itself from American hegemony and its military-industrial complex. That means:
- Halting any trade deals and phasing out purchase of US military equipment;
- The import of US energy products should be terminated. Purchasing gas and petroleum produced in the US only benefit the fossil industry, which actively supports Trump’s imperialist regime;
- Strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy by accelerating the just transition based on local renewable energy, sufficiency strategies and resource justice.
Greenland is a frontier in the fight against climate change which is why 141 NGOs issued a statement to protect the Greenlandic and Arctic environment. As the Greenland Ice Sheet melts, ramping up extraction in the (sub)Arctic would have catastrophic consequences for global security and climate resilience. Therefore, defending Greenland also means protecting vulnerable Arctic ecosystems against destructive extraction.
