When Monocle Radio’s team arrived in Nuuk last Monday, anything seemed possible. Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, was warning his fellow citizens to prepare for the possibility of invasion by the US. Denmark, of which Greenland is a part, had deployed extra troops to the island – and so, by way of solidarity, had several Nato allies. Donald Trump was threatening a trade war with Europe and declining to rule out the prospect of an actual war over Greenland.

But by Thursday afternoon, it seemed – at the risk of tempting fate – to be over. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said that he wouldn’t seize Greenland by force and later claimed, as he so often does, to have lit upon “a concept of a deal”. Every indication is that this deal will be similar to the extant arrangements, under which the US can build military bases on Greenland anyway. In short, a classic Trump manoeuvre: create a crisis, resolve it, then claim credit. He probably thinks that Nobel Peace Prizes are awarded for ending fights that you started yourself.

For the many Greenlanders we met, none of this was academic. Monocle’s team spoke to politicians, musicians, hoteliers, curators, entrepreneurs, tour operators, designers, bartenders, shopkeepers, passing pedestrians and carvers of tupilait. These are Inuit charms whittled from whale teeth, walrus tusks or reindeer antlers, believed to possess formidable powers of deterrence vis-à-vis one’s enemies. We visited the workshop of one tupilak sculptor, Kim Kleist-Eriksen, who trades as Eriagsiaq. He said that he had created and quickly sold a tupilak depicting the vanquishing of Trump.

Yet the purchaser of that particular totem, whoever they were, seems like an outlier. Over the past week, Greenlanders took a pretty philosophical view of the diplomatic crisis – perhaps living in such a wild and unforgiving environment conditions you towards pragmatism. Everyone we met was at pains to stress that they bore no animus towards anyone: political declarations, such as the “Greenland is not for sale!” posters in the window of the Bibi Chemnitz boutique, were pro-Greenland, not anti-American. There were occasional expressions of irritation towards Denmark but, given the history, it is safe to assess that these are not new.

And we found that some Greenlanders even saw the uncertainty as an opportunity of sorts. We were told more than once that it had been a pretty good year for business. Nuuk’s hotels were heaving not only with international media but also tourists whose curiosity had been piqued by Trump’s delirious aspirations of conquest. This influx had been, by and large, cheerfully and gratefully absorbed, though the novelty of being cornered by foreign journalists pursuing the vox populi had long since ebbed. The ratio of press to locals in Nuuk when we visited was such that this correspondent was approached four times by camera crews while ambling around town. Tempting though it was to assume some atrocious facsimile of a Greenlandic accent and say something outrageous, honour compelled me to disappoint them.

Greenlanders understand that there is no returning to their previous anonymity. Whatever happens now, the strategic importance of their island has been brutally emphasised and the complications that go with that exposed. As one Greenlandic politician told us, “Nothing can be the same after this.”

Andrew Mueller is a leading Monocle contributor and the host of Monocle Radio’s ‘The Foreign Desk’. For more on Greenland and in-depth analysis of global affairs, tune in to the latest episode here.

Who’s buying: Denmark
Who’s selling: USA, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Germany, France, Italy and others besides 
Price: Circa €16bn worth announced in the past 12 months
Delivery date: ASAP

Even before bewildered Danish military commanders were obliged to start sketching out plans for the defence of Greenland from invasion by the United States, the kingdom had embarked on the greatest military buildup in its history – though Denmark believed the likelier menace would loom from the east. The Danish air defence order book alone presently includes a formidable battery of missile systems from Kongsberg of Norway, MBDA of France, Diehl of Germany and the French-Italian SAMP/T. On the ground, Denmark is expanding its fleet of Swedish-designed CV-90 infantry fighting vehicles and Finnish-built Patria armoured personnel carriers. In the sky, Denmark still – despite everything – intends to proceed with a purchase of 16 more US-built F-35s, expanding its complement to 43.

But whether or not the US has abandoned its ambitions of acquiring Greenland, the new threat had been noted for some time: in late 2025, Denmark outlined plans for a new Arctic Command headquarters in Nuuk, two new Arctic ships, and more maritime patrol aircraft and reconnaissance drones. Denmark – like all Europe – needs to grow eyes in the back of its head.

Greenlandic designer Anita Høegh has been making clothes using traditional Inuit materials and techniques for more than 20 years (writes Alexis Self, part of Monocle’s Nuuk team). She founded her business, Qiviut, in Sisimiut, a town 320km north of Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, and about 75km north of the Arctic Circle. In 2022, she shifted production to Nuuk, where Høegh and her daughter, Mia Chemnitz, have built Qiviut into one of the world’s leading producers of muskox wool and sealskin clothing.

The brand’s sealskin mittens for men are available in a natural or black colourway. Unsure about the idea of wearing seal fur? Hunting these pinnipeds is an important part of Greenlandic Inuit culture and the government has introduced strict quotas to ensure that the animal’s population is protected and able to flourish. Waterproof and wind-resistant, sealskin mittens will keep your paws toasty, stylish and dry as a bone.
qiviut.gl