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Greenland is 'not just a block of ice,' residents say, as Trump repeats demands

Some worried Greenlanders were gathering emergency supplies, with hunters "taking out their rifles" and readying them to defend against any would-be invaders, residents told NBC News.

Many Greenlanders still uneasy after Trump's draft deal

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Jan. 21, 2026, 3:58 PM EST

By Ellison Barber, Michael Fiorentino and Chantal Da Silva

NUUK, Greenland — President Donald Trump’s renewed demands for Denmark to hand over Greenland have received an icy response from locals on the remote Arctic island, usually far removed from world affairs.

There was a chill in the air in Greenland's capital, Nuuk, thousands of miles away from the World Economic Forum taking place in the Swiss city of Davos. There, Trump used a major speech before world leaders Wednesday to up the pressure on Denmark and Europe to hand over what he called a "piece of ice," though he appeared to rule out using military force to do so.

“It’s crazy. Totally crazy,” Peter Jensen, an office supply store's owner in Nuuk, said Tuesday, before Trump's speech. “But many are scared.”

Tillie Martinussen, a former member of Greenland’s parliament, was incensed by Trump’s remarks. “We’re not just a block of ice,” she said in an interview on Wednesday. “We are human beings. We have elderly people here who are so afraid right now. We have children that are afraid of the United States.”

She said that some Greenlanders had been so panicked by Trump that were gathering emergency supplies, with hunters "taking out their rifles" and getting them ready to defend against any would-be invaders.

No matter what happens, people who had seen the United States as a friend will now think of it as a possible invader that "can never be trusted again," Martinussen said.

Peter Jensen and Tillie Martinussen in Nuuk, Greenland on Wednesday.Jonas Schoenstein / NBC News

“We don’t want to be Americans,” Parnûna Motzfeldt, 25, said Tuesday, adding that Greenland was “not for sale,” a sentiment that has become a slogan across the island in the midst of Trump’s takeover plans. "We only want to be Greenlanders," she added.

Jens Erik Kjeldsen, a retired carpenter who has been staging a one-man protest outside the U.S. Consulate in Nuuk since Monday despite the freezing temperatures, expressed fears that Trump is "trying to buy the world or take it with his power."

"You might win a war with power, but you can never win the peace," Kjeldsen, 70, who moved from Denmark in the 1970s, warned Wednesday.

Holding up flags representing Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, he said: "We never want to be American. We like the Americans, we like being there, we like being visited by them ... but to be American? No, no, no.”

Fears for the future have grown in Greenland in recent days, as Trump has intensified his rhetoric about taking control of the vast territory, where around 90% of the population of roughly 57,000 inhabitants are Inuit.

In lengthy remarks at the Davos summit, Trump said Wednesday he did not plan to “use force” to take Greenland. Referring to NATO spending, he said that the U.S. “probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be, frankly, unstoppable, but I won’t do that.”

Instead, he said, Europe has "a choice," adding: "You can say yes, and we will be very appreciative, or you can say no, and we will remember."

Jens Kjeldsen — Jens Erik Kjeldsen holds the flags of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland as he protests Wednesday outside the wooden cabin housing the U.S. Consulate in Nuuk.Jonas Schoenstein / NBC News

But Trump repeated his claims that acquiring Greenland is vital to "national security," citing fears of a potential future conflict with Russia or China, though the U.S. military presence there has shrunk drastically since the Cold War, when it was home to critical missile early-warning systems.

In his speech, Trump said controlling the island, which he appeared to erroneously refer to as “Iceland” multiple times, was important “psychologically,” adding: “Who the hell wants to defend a license agreement or a lease, which is a large piece of ice in the middle of the ocean?”

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said it was “positive” that Trump appeared to have ruled out the use of force, but said it was “quite clear” he has not given up on hopes to take over.

While American hopes of acquiring the semi-autonomous territory stretch back to the mid-1800s, following the purchase of Alaska from Russia, Trump's fixation on assuming control of the island has sparked alarm across the region and around the world.

Trump had threatened to impose sweeping tariffs on eight European nations next month if Denmark did not agree to hand over Greenland, but he backed off that threat on Wednesday.

"I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st," he said in a post on Truth Social, citing a "framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland" after a meeting with the secretary general of NATO, Mark Rutte.

People bear Greenlandic flags as they gather in front of the U.S. consulate protest against U.S. President Donald Trump and his announced intent to acquire Greenland on January 17, 2026 in Nuuk, Greenland. — Demonstrators gather in front of the U.S. Consulate in Nuuk on Saturday Jan. 17.Sean Gallup / Getty Images

"We have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region. This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations," he said, without further providing details.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned in his own speech in Davos on Tuesday of a shift toward a "world without rules," while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that the world was "in the midst of a rupture."

Denmark colonized Greenland some 300 years ago, granting it the status of an autonomous territory in the 1970s but still retaining control of military and foreign policy.

The U.S. briefly assumed control of the territory during World War II in a bid to prevent it from being used by the Nazis. In the decades since, an agreement has been in place allowing the U.S. to construct and maintain military bases across the island, with the U.S. Pituffik Space Base being the largest in the territory.

In the face of Trump's growing threats, those in Greenland are left with little choice but to wait, and make their voices heard where they can.

Kjeldsen, the retired carpenter, said: "I'm only a simple, normal person who's doing whatever I can to protect one of the big things that we have, which is our freedom."

Ellison Barber

Michael Fiorentino

Michael Fiorentino is a London-based producer for NBC News.

Chantal Da Silva

Chantal Da Silva reports on world news for NBC News Digital and is based in London.

Alexander Smith contributed.