After France Trump’s threat to Greenland, Europe will not allow attacks

Greenland, the world’s largest island but with a population of only 57,000, enjoys extensive autonomy, although its economy depends largely on subsidies from Copenhagen and remains part of the Danish kingdom.

It also has the largest deposits of rare earth minerals, which are important in the production of batteries and high-tech devices.

Steffen Kretz, chief international correspondent for the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, reporting in the Greenlandic capital of Nuuk, said most people he spoke to were “shocked” by the suggestion that Trump could use military force to take control of the territory.

While most people in Greenland hope for independence in the future, he said it is widely accepted that Denmark needs a partner that can provide public services, defense and an economic base, as it does now.

“I have yet to meet a person in Greenland who dreams of the island becoming a colony of another foreign power like the United States.”

Kretz told the BBC that while the Danish government is trying to “downplay” any conflict with Trump, “behind the scenes, I sense an awareness that this conflict has the potential to be the biggest international crisis in modern history for Denmark.”

The president-elect’s son, Donald Trump Jr., made a brief trip to Greenland on Tuesday, calling it a “personal day trip” to talk to people.

He later posted a photo of himself wearing a pro-Trump hat at a bar with a group of Greenlanders.