Greenland releases ‘crisis’ guidelines as Trump threat looms

Aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, is seen in the sky above Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Greenland’s government unveiled a new brochure on Wednesday offering advice to the population in the event of a “crisis” in the territory, which U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to seize from ally Denmark.

Guidance includes stockpiling food and water, hunting weapons and ammunition.

The document is “an insurance policy”, said Self-Sufficiency Minister Peter Borg at a press conference in Nuuk, the Greenlandic capital.

“We don’t expect to have to use it,” Borg said.

Trump on Thursday demanded “immediate” talks on his bid to control Greenland but said he would not use military force to take the Arctic island.

Work on the brochure, titled “Prepared for Crises -- Be Self‑Sufficient for Five Days”, began last year “against a backdrop of power outages of varying duration”, according to the Greenland government.

The guidance recommends storing five days’ worth of food, three litres of water per person per day, toilet paper, a battery‑powered radio, plus weapons, ammunition and fishing equipment.

Greenland’s 57,000-strong population -- nearly 90 per cent Indigenous Inuit people -- has long traditions of hunting and fishing as the primary means of subsistence.

On Tuesday, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens‑Frederik Nielsen said a military operation against Greenland was “unlikely”, but that the Danish autonomous territory must nevertheless be ready.

Since returning to power last year, Trump has repeatedly said he wants to gain control of Greenland to counter Russian and Chinese advances in the Arctic and ensure global stability -- the horror of his European and NATO allies.

The U.S. president said Wednesday in Davos that he “won’t use force” to take the island, while calling for “immediate negotiations” to acquire it.

According to a January 2025 poll, 85 per cent of Greenlanders oppose joining the United States, with only six per cent in favour.