Residents of Nuuk are quietly considering evacuation plans and taking modest precautions after U.S. political talk about acquiring Greenland. Some, like Ulrikke Andersen, have mapped out routes to Denmark or fjord cabins; others plan to stay and support their community. Authorities have issued no official guidance, and locals emphasize reliance on hunting, fishing and mutual aid if a crisis occurs.
Greenlanders Plan Escapes and Stock Supplies as U.S. Interest in Greenland Stirs Concern
Greenlanders are thinking through what they would do if the worst were to happen (Alessandro RAMPAZZO)(Alessandro RAMPAZZO/AFP/AFP)
As public discussion in the United States about acquiring Greenland continues, residents of the island's capital, Nuuk, are quietly weighing contingency plans and modest preparations. The possibility of a U.S. takeover — cited by some U.S. leaders because of Greenland's Arctic position and mineral resources — has pushed locals to consider what they would do if the worst occurred.
Preparing For Two Scenarios
Ulrikke Andersen, 40, told AFP she has sketched two evacuation plans to protect her 12-year-old stepdaughter. "Before, I was ready to die for my country but when I had a kid that changed everything," she said. Andersen said that if control were transferred gradually her family would fly to Denmark; if a takeover were sudden they would try to reach a cabin by boat along a nearby fjord.
"We can hunt, we can fish, we can live off nature. We are used to living under extreme conditions," Andersen said, describing local subsistence skills that could help during a crisis.
Everyday Precautions, No Panic
Many Nuuk residents are taking modest steps rather than panicking: filling freezers, stocking extra water and petrol, and buying generators. "I'm thinking about where to hide and what medicines we need to stock," said 35-year-old student Nuunu Binzer. "But I haven't done it yet." Supermarkets remain well supplied and authorities have not issued official guidance on what to do in the event of an invasion.
Choices and Community
Nuuk, with roughly 20,000 inhabitants, is accessible only by air or sea because Greenland lacks inter-town roads. That geographic isolation shapes evacuation options and underlines reliance on local knowledge. Some residents say they would leave; others say they would stay and help. "I will not leave and I will try to help my country while I still have strength," said 62-year-old entrepreneur Inger Olsvig Brandt. "It can be tempting to think that we can just leave but we are so few that we need each other."
This story is based on reporting by AFP and reflects how ordinary Greenlanders are balancing practical preparations with emotional and communal considerations amid geopolitical talk.
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