Greenland
Qupanuk, 39: "Trump helps us become independent from Denmark"
Joachim Kerpner
Published 17.27
Quick version
- Qupanuk Olsen sees Trump's idea of buying Greenland as absurd but believes it could promote Greenland's independence from Denmark.
- She believes that Trump's interest has led to Greenland receiving more international attention, which helps their struggle to be heard and recognized.
- Olsen believes that the primary reason for Trump's interest is Greenland's natural resources and military strategic value, but does not believe that the US would use force.
Qupanuk Olsen, 39, thinks Trump’s idea is crazy.
But she also sees advantages in his desire to buy Greenland.
– We will never become an American state. But this will help us in our quest to become independent from Denmark.
Qupanuk Olsen is a Greenlandic influencer with 300,000 followers. She makes positive posts on Instagram about life on the world’s largest island. But she is also the cousin of Greenland's Prime Minister Mute B Egede, and an experienced mining engineer.
When Aftonbladet gets hold of her, it is early morning in the capital Nuuk, with 20,000 inhabitants, and Donald Trump Jr. has just left Greenland:
– His visit and Donald Trump’s comments are surreal. What is happening right now is crazy. But I think it will help us in our quest to become independent from Denmark. Instead of looking at it as something negative, I choose to see the positive side. But we will never be a state in the USA. We will always be our own people.
But in what way is it positivt att Trump wants to buy Greenland?
– Because now we are being listened to, and we deserve to be listened to. To be seen as people, as Greenlanders. We have been a Danish colony for 300 years, and it still feels that way.
“Part of northern Germany”
But since 1953, Greenland is no longer a colony?
– That is true, but it still feels that way. When it comes to major political issues, Denmark always takes control and decides over our heads. So the positive thing is that Denmark has now realized that they will disappear from the world map, literally, when Greenland becomes independent. Then they will become part of northern Germany.
So you mean that Danmark is not a real country ?
– No, it is its own country, but Denmark is so small. And the moment Greenland becomes independent, Denmark will be so small in Scandinavia that it will basically disappear from the world map.
“You who are going to disappear”
– So instead of the Danes saying “we pay you a lot of money every year, you only survive thanks to us, we can treat you however we want, because there are only 57,000 of you, you are alcoholics, you can’t do anything on your own”, everything will be turned upside down. Instead we say “okay, Denmark, you are the ones who are going to disappear”.
But why do you think Trump want to buy Greenland?
– He is after our mineral resources. And for military purposes.
Trump talks about using the military if he doesn't his way. Are you afraid of that?
– The US has had and still has military bases in Greenland. That’s okay, as long as they pay for it. Their soldiers do not mix with the local population, but keep to themselves. And I have no problem with that.
Not afraid of military force
– I do not think that the United States will use military force against us, that is just something Trump says. And when he talked about the military, he talked about Panama at the same time. So I think it was more about Panama than Greenland when he talked about potential military force, says Qupanuk Olsen.
Greenland has large natural resources in the form of rare earth metals. Photo: Saul Loeb / AP
FACTS
Greenland
Greenland is classified as the world's largest island with an area five times the size of Sweden. Approximately 80 percent is covered by ice, in places over three kilometers thick.
The island has about 57,000 inhabitants and the largest city is Nuuk (in Danish formerly Godthåb). Greenlandic is the official language, but Danish plays a large role in public affairs. Shrimp fishing is the most important industry.
In the 1720s, the island became a Danish colony on the initiative of the missionary Hans Egede. In 1953, Greenland became a Danish county. In 1979, the island was granted limited but relatively large self-government, with its own legislative assembly and government (the county council and the country administration).
The question of whether Greenland should become independent has often been topical. A series of opinion polls in recent years have shown that a large majority of the inhabitants want the island to break free from Denmark.
Denmark has a defense agreement with its NATO colleague the United States that gives the American military considerable leeway in Greenland. There are, among other things, radar stations there that provide the opportunity to monitor the airspace over the Arctic Ocean.
Source: Landguiden/TT
Qupanuk Olsen, 39. Photo: Facebook
Inga kommentarer:
Skicka en kommentar