Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

22 January 2026

2-minute read

Strategically located in the Arctic, and with an abundance of rare metal resources under its ice, it is no surprise that Greenland is once again in the news.

In this 4^th Industrial Revolution, China is currently in the lead for rare metals that are used in devices like cell phones and computer chips.

The semi-autonomous region of Greenland, whose foreign policy is largely controlled by Denmark, has a population of around 60 000, most living in the South of the country.

Deen says that the Trump administration views the world with “mercantilist perspective” that controls this “sphere of influence” as empires did in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, with Russia dominating Europe, China holding Asia, and the US wielding power over North America. Being situated close to both Canada and Russia, Trump plans to integrate Greenland as a state thus undermining state sovereignty.

This plan to do to the first world what has been happening in the third world for centuries has caused much consternation.

Media coverage focuses mainly on the Trump administration attempting to “change the world order as it is currently being played out,” rather than on Greenland itself and how its people think of it. Despite negativity towards the Trump administration, far-reaching consequences like how it is playing out in Venezuela with the capture of its president, and how it ties into China’s interest in Taiwan, is now becoming apparent. Trump’s masterful ability to divert attention from domestic issues towards ratifying the status quo is “all ado about nothing.”

However, Trump’s backing down can be noted in the markets which fell by 600 points in the last couple of days, with the world “slowly but surely decoupling (in a sense) from the US.” Deen says that the “dying US empire” can be seen from China entering into trade agreements with Canada, allowing it the ability to “ride US tariffs.”

The most enduring outcome of the issue on Greenland is that once trust is broken, it is very difficult to rebuild, concludes Deen.

Listen to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Ebrahim Deen.