We Talk: Greenlandic locals voice concerns over how US power could impact their daily lives

US President Donald Trump has ruled out using military force to take control of Greenland, US Ambassador to Denmark Ken Howery said during the opening of a new US consulate building in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. Previously, Trump repeatedly threatened to take the self-governing Danish territory and claimed that he would not rule out the use of force.

According to a New York Times investigation based on interviews with officials from Washington, DC, on May 18, the US is trying to modify a longstanding military arrangement to ensure American troops can stay in Greenland indefinitely, even if the territory becomes independent from Denmark.

CGTN Stringer spoke with several Greenlandic residents about the potential impact of US power on their daily lives. The interviewees raised three main concerns: the downgrading of human rights and status, the banning of traditional livelihoods and resource exploitation along with environmental risks. Among them, Alibak Hard said, "The US government doesn't care about indigenous people at all. Look at the indigenous peoples in the US – they are put on reservations and don't have the same human rights. "