A Greenlander living in Canada says the threats of annexation by U.S. President Donald Trump has stunted the conversations around the territory’s independence from Denmark.

“The path we were on feels like it was put on a break and now it’s going to slow down,” says Tupaarnaq Kopeck, an Inuk woman from Nuuk, Greenland who has lived in Canada for the past five years. “I don’t think I can ever forgive Trump for that – because we deserve these conversations.”

“Even I notice our last election, a party that isn’t usually the biggest party but is a party that wants to stay connected to Denmark – won. It’s a conversation that’s very ongoing but also a little bit hard to talk about right now because we have to have unity with Denmark now because Denmark is the one who provides security in Greenland,” she says.

“They’re the biggest party now where usually they aren’t, because now people are like we need to stick together.”

Kopeck took part in Northern Perspectives 2026 in Winnipeg, a conference focused on building economic opportunity and trade relations in the north between Manitoba and Nunavut.

As one of the keynote speakers, Topeck says she was there because she cares “deeply about Inuit futures across borders.”

But, she says, one of the major issues for Inuit in Greenland is how systems like governance, business and education are defined by the colonial Danish systems.

“Greenland looks to Denmark and to Europe more broadly, to model what a ‘functional’ society should look like,” she tells the audience of political and business leaders, “Equal access inside a colonial system doesn’t create equality, it often just reproduces who already has power.”

After her address, Kopeck tells APTN News that she’s happy that the prime minister and premiers of the territories are taking Arctic security more seriously – an issue in Canada and Greenland.

But, she adds, the conversation around being annexed by the United States has set the conversation about independence from Denmark back.

“As I said in my speech, we don’t have military so for right now we have to stick together and what I feel as a Greenlandic Inuk who talks about independence for Greenland – this has been a little bit hard because the conversations have been a little bit put on hold now. But that’s just how it is.”

Kopeck says given the international attention to the threats from the U.S., she’s happy that the world is supporting Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland), including Canada opening a consular office in the capital of Nuuk.

“I love it so much,” says Kopeck.

Canada opens consular office

More than 90 Inuit flew from Canada to Nuuk last week for the opening of the consular office there.

“It was beautiful to see, like, the whole plane filled with Canadian Inuit with the Greenlandic flag and the Canadian flag together really warmed my heart. And just showed that we Inuit are one people just separated by borders,” says Kopeck.

But she says Canada made one glaring mistake that could have shown its acknowledgement for Inuit living in both countries.

Greenland is an autonomous island territory of Denmark and Prime Minister Mark Carney has repeatedly said any decisions about Greenland’s future are up to the people of Greenland and Denmark.

“For me, what Canada could have done … it would have been amazing if the [Consular Official] was Canadian Inuk. That would have made so much sense. Maybe it’s hard to find someone right for the job, but I don’t think so. There are so many amazing, smart Inuit up there I feel like at this point the relationship between Canadian Inuit and Greenlandic Inuit are already really strong,” she adds.

“But I also feel there is a little bit of a disconnect, as I said, for example, in my speech, that when the prime minister (of Canada) came out and said like ‘we support Greenland’, he didn’t say we support Greenland first. He said we support Denmark and then as a footnote said we support Greenland. So there’s already a disconnect, like he put NATO first, the Allies first, but not the Inuit.”

Canada supports the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity universally, including as they apply to Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark. As we have consistently stated, the future of Greenland is for Greenland and Denmark alone to determine.

The security of the…

— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) January 18, 2026

When the opening ceremony took place, Canada’s flag was raised and dozens of people joined in a spontaneous version of O Canada.

“The significance of raising this flag today and formally opening the consulate is that we will stand together with the people of Greenland and Denmark on many issues,” says Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, who was in Nuuk to open the office.

“The co-operation between Denmark, Greenland and Canada will continue, not just in the short term, not just in the medium, but in the long term.”

Canada announced plans for the new diplomatic mission in December 2024, before U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his threats to annex the Danish territory.

But the consulate took on new significance as NATO allies moved to back the sovereignty of Greenland and Denmark in recent weeks.

Vivian Motzfeldt, Greenland’s foreign minister, says the consulate opening is a “historic day.”

“This is not just the opening of a building but a further strengthening of the friendship and co-operation between Greenland and Canada,” she says.

Gov. Gen. Mary Simon was also in Nuuk for the ceremony, as was Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed.

“We just want to show just how much in solidarity we are with Inuit in Greenland and Greenland generally,” he said.

With files from The Canadian Press.

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