Updated January 7, 2026 at 5:40 PM EST
This story was originally published on Feb. 20, 2025.
President Trump's calls for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, a territory protected by Denmark, sparked alarm and outrage among Greenlanders and leaders in the U.S. and Europe in early 2025. Now, the White House has renewed those calls and even said military intervention was possible.
In February 2025, NPR's Juana Summers spoke with Naaja Nathanielsen, who was running for Greenland's parliament at the time. Nathanielsen serves as Greenland's Minister for Business, Mineral Resources, Energy, Justice and Gender Equality.
In an interview with All Things Considered, Nathanielsen said she was offended by the idea that Greenland is a "commodity for sale." She continued: "People forget that we are actually a people. We are a people in our own right, with our own culture. We don't want to be Americans. It does not mean we don't want to trade with America or have connections to America, but we are not Americans."
Nathanielsen also discussed Greenland's relationship with the U.S. and how its residents view their North American neighbors.
Listen to the full interview by hitting the blue play button above.
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