“Now, all of a sudden, everything is fine,” he said. “What happened in the middle?” The answers are deeply important in Greenland, where questions about sovereignty and outside influence have never been abstract. The island is larger than Mexico but is home to fewer than 60,000 people. For more than 300 years, it has been part of the Danish kingdom and today, many Greenlanders follow a mixed lifestyle: part Scandinavian and part indigenous Inuit culture. Many people still hunt seals, for example. Much of the island, with its glistening snowfields, spectacular fjords, icebergs and ice mountains, is incredibly beautiful. Protecting the environment has always been a priority, which is why some Greenlanders said they were uncomfortable with Trump’s talk about expanding the US military presence. The Pentagon has already taken the first steps toward a greater military presence. Just this week, American soldiers were seen inspecting a landing strip in Narsarsuaq, a town in southern Greenland. “If it becomes a daily routine for them to fly around here near us, then it will be a complete change,” said Aana Uulat Bach, a retired teacher who lives in Nuuk. “We are not soldiers. We are people of nature and we want to preserve it.” Still, some people were hopeful. “If the agreement is finalized, all the necessary conditions will be created to restore more normal relations,” said Naaja Nathanielsen, one of two Greenlanders in Denmark’s parliament. “I don’t think there can be much disagreement that this would be a good thing.”
