“We in the Nordic region have a strong tradition of standing together when it really matters. In this case, we are not neutral. We stand in solidarity.”
That was how Morten Skov Christiansen, President of the Danish Trade Union Confederation FH, put it as he hoisted Greenland’s red and white flag outside FH’s Copenhagen headquarters.
Read this article in Danish on Arbeidsliv i Norden
His words and the flag demonstration represent the Danish trade union movement’s joint reaction to the latest attack on Greenland from US President Donald Trump.
Nordic support
FH represents 62 trade unions in Denmark with 1.3 million workers as members.
According to the FH President, Danish trade unions will defend Greenlandic workers’ conditions with the same vigour as when a metalworker in Denmark fights for safety and influence at work, and a teacher in Iceland stands with their colleagues in the fight for better conditions.
“It’s the same idea that we’re defending in Greenland,” wrote Morten Skov Christiansen in a blog post.
The NFS, the Council of Nordic Trade Unions, has also clearly communicated that the Nordic trade union movement stands united in its support for Greenland.
In a joint statement, trade unions in all the Nordic countries express their unequivocal support for Greenland and Greenlandic workers.
Calm in the workplaces
The major political turmoil about a possible American annexation of Greenland has not, in the short term, harmed economic activity in Greenland’s business sector or the sense of security among Greenlandic employees.
This is the assessment of Greenland’s business community and the Greenlandic Minister for Business/Nunakisoq, Naaja H. Nathanielsen.
On 23 January 2026, she had meetings with Greenland’s largest business organisations regarding Trump’s latest statements about Greenland.
After the meetings, the Greenlandic government issued a press release stating that:
“There is no immediate threat towards the country’s business sector. Certain businesses have encountered concerned customers, but this concern is being handled, and this is not a general or major problem.”
Good branding
Greenland Business/Sulisitsisut is a business organisation whose members account for 80 per cent of Greenland’s companies. At the end of the meeting with the Greenlandic Minister for Business, the organisation’s director, Christian Keldsen, said:
“Greenland’s business community is adaptable, and the timely care taken in the dialogue between authorities and business has made it possible to navigate the recent weeks’ announcements.
“This provides a basis to make the best use of the situation and create calm for our employees.”
Both the government (Naalakkersuisut) and the business community see the extra attention and positive branding of Greenland as an opportunity for Greenland’s business sector, according to the government’s press release:
“The outside world has turned its attention towards us. At present, no significant negative impact is seen. Naturally, we do not yet know the long-term effects, and it is therefore still important that we work purposefully on the positive branding of our country.”
