Greenlanders express fear and anger as Trump eyes territory.

“Greenlanders don’t want to be Americans,” Mia Chemnitz told the BBC. “We are not for sale.”

The 32-year-old businessman from Nuuk, the Greenlandic capital, echoes the sentiments of many people interviewed by the BBC about the Trump administration’s recent comments.

The White House says it is ‘actively’ discussing a proposal to purchase territory that has been owned by Denmark for centuries. U.S. President Donald Trump and his officials have previously hinted at a willingness to take action by force if necessary.

This has sparked irritation and condemnation among Greenlanders on the world’s largest island and elsewhere.

This nervousness grew after the United States took unprecedented military action to remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from his residence in Caracas to New York on charges of drug trafficking and narcoterrorism.

Almost immediately afterwards, the wife of a senior White House staff member pointed out that Greenland was next.

“From then on, the abstract feeling disappeared,” said Tuparnak Kopek, 40, who moved to Canada for his family and work, another place Trump had threatened to annex.

“For the first time, I contacted my sisters in Greenland and told them that if the unthinkable were to become a reality, they would have a place to stay with us.”

Aaja Chemnitz, one of two members of the Danish parliament representing Greenland, said she was “appalled” by the Trump administration’s comments, calling them a “clear threat.”

“It is completely disrespectful on the part of the United States not to rule out annexing our country and annexing another NATO ally,” she said.

Greenland is the most sparsely populated region in the world. Most of the Arctic islands are covered in ice, and most of the population lives in Nuuk and the surrounding southwestern coastline.

However, it is a place of strategic importance to the United States. This is why the United States stationed troops there after World War II.

Greenland’s location between North America and the North Pole makes it well placed to establish an early warning system in the event of a missile attack.

Recently, interest in Greenland’s natural resources, including rare earth minerals, is becoming more accessible as glaciers melt due to climate change.

“It’s not fun for 56,000 people to be subjected to these threats from a huge country like the United States,” says Masaana Egede, editor-in-chief of Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq.

“Greenlandic citizens are anxious about this issue, because this is not something we take lightly.”

Experts generally agree that taking control of Greenland militarily would be a no-brainer for the United States, but the geopolitical fallout would effectively end the NATO alliance.

After the White House again raised the issue of Greenland’s ownership, six European allies issued a statement saying Greenland’s future should be decided by its people. Mia said she was grateful for this.

But she worries this won’t matter much to the United States “if it’s not backed up by results and action.”

“As a Greenlander, I can’t help but wonder: What value are we to these allies? How far are they willing to go to protect us?”

Tupaarnaq says: “Respect is more than paper alliances. When great powers talk about you instead of talking to you, that respect disappears very quickly.”

The Trump administration has emphasized its intention to purchase Greenland from Denmark while keeping military intervention as an option, despite Copenhagen repeatedly stressing that the territory is not for sale.

Aaja believes that annexation by force is impossible. Instead, “what we will see is that over time they will put pressure on us to ensure they can take control of Greenland.”

Opinion polls show that Greenlanders generally favor independence from Denmark but oppose American ownership. The territory is largely self-governing, with Copenhagen retaining control over foreign affairs and defense.

This is perhaps why Aleqatsiaq Peary, a 42-year-old Inuit hunter living in the remote northern village of Qaanaaq, appears unfazed by the prospect of American ownership.

“It’s a transition from one owner to another, from one occupier to another,” he says. “We are a colony of Denmark. We are already losing a lot under the Danish government.”

But he said, “I don’t have time for Trump. My people need help,” explaining that hunters like him hunt with dogs and fish on sea ice. “But as the sea ice melts, hunters can no longer make a living,” he explained.

Sermitsiaq Editor For Masaana, American rhetoric is pushing false binary choices.

“We have to try to avoid the story turning into a place where Greenland has to decide between the United States and Denmark, because that’s not the choice the Greenlanders want.”

There is palpable anger among others who see Greenland already having strong ties with the United States.

“Greenlanders are very upset about this,” said Christian Keldsen of the Greenland Business Association.

“Greenlanders are welcoming and open, which is the best thing about this country. But now this is scaring some people.”

Greenland is open for business with the United States, Christian stressed, pointing out that there are new direct flights from Greenland to New York. This is a sure sign that “they don’t need to buy us.”

“We are a well-functioning democracy and our government has strong powers,” says Mia. “We are a NATO ally, the United States has had military bases in Greenland for over 70 years, and we still have the right to build and operate new military bases.

“As we said before in Greenland: we are not for sale, but we are open for business.”