Greenland’s past and the limits of apology

In May 2022, Denmark’s public broadcaster DR exposed one of the darkest episodes in Denmark’s rule over Greenland. During the 1960s and 1970s, the Danish government forcibly inserted intrauterine devices into approximately 4,500 Inuit women. At the time, Greenland’s total female population was about 9,000. In effect, nearly half of all women were treated as subjects of a state-run experiment. Some of the victims were children, including a 12-year-old girl who had not yet reached puberty.

The revelations sparked public outrage across Denmark and prompted victims to file lawsuits seeking compensation. Yet the government delayed issuing an apology, citing the need for further investigation. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who has been in office since 2019, did not formally apologize until Aug. 27 last year, more than three years after the initial reporting. The prolonged delay raised questions about whether political calculation outweighed moral responsibility.

Denmark has exercised control over Greenland since 1814, when the territory was transferred from Norway. After formally incorporating Greenland in 1953, Copenhagen pursued policies of forced assimilation, including mandatory Danish-language education and the removal of Greenlandic children into Danish families. Coercive birth control practices continued into the 1990s. Had Greenland not gained self-rule in 2009, these abuses might have remained buried.

Whether Frederiksen’s apology reflected genuine contrition remains open to question. On the very day she issued the apology, Denmark’s Foreign Ministry summoned Acting U.S. Ambassador Mark Stroh over allegations that Americans had attempted to shape pro-United States public opinion in Greenland. Major international media outlets, including The New York Times, pointed to U.S. President Donald Trump as another factor behind the timing of the apology.

Trump first raised the idea of purchasing Greenland in August 2019. Since returning to office last January, he has spoken openly about annexation and has even suggested the possibility of military involvement. For Denmark, easing Greenlandic resentment may have appeared necessary before confronting mounting pressure from Washington.

Trump’s pattern of encroaching on the sovereignty of other nations warrants criticism. Yet Denmark’s claim to moral authority is hardly unassailable. Its historical record in Greenland is marked by systemic abuse and exploitation. Opinion polls consistently show that Greenlanders reject both U.S. and Danish dominance and instead favor independence. Still, with a limited industrial base and heavy fiscal dependence on Denmark, meaningful independence remains largely unattainable.

Denmark, home to about 6 million people, and Greenland, with roughly 57,000 residents, both depend on the security umbrella provided by the United States and NATO. Denmark’s standing military numbers about 21,000 troops. Casting Trump as a singular villain may offer emotional satisfaction, but it does little to strengthen security. When Nazi Germany occupied Denmark during World War II, it was the United States that ultimately safeguarded Greenland.

Strategic competition over Greenland extends well beyond Washington. On Jan. 12, Dmitry Medvedev, a senior Russian official and close ally of President Vladimir Putin, claimed that Greenlanders would vote to join Russia if given the opportunity. China, meanwhile, has sought to expand its influence by offering to finance airports and other infrastructure projects. The methods differ, but the underlying intent does not.

The controversy surrounding Greenland underscores a harsh lesson of international politics. Apologies, however long overdue, do not eliminate strategic vulnerability. Regardless of who occupies the White House, and regardless of the wishes of Greenlanders themselves, major powers will continue to compete for influence over one of the Arctic’s most strategically valuable territories.