The founder of a Norwegian adventure sailing company has revealed plans for a flotilla to sail to Greenland to show solidarity with the people.
Donald Trump has vowed to take control of the North Atlantic island because of its strategic importance. Greenland also has rich mineral resources. “If we don’t do it the easy way, we’re going to do it the hard way,” the American president said.
Mr Trump has not ruled out the prospect of using military force to seize the semi-autonomous Danish territory. The White House said: “Utilising the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal.”
But a Norwegian travel firm has vowed to show solidarity with the people of Greenland.
Emil Eriksen of SeilNorge told The Independent: “We are actually discussing if we should do some kind of solidarity fleet race to Greenland from Europe.
"That could be fun to gather a lot of boats and sail there.”
The company takes people on holidays by sailing boat in the Arctic, including to north Norway, Spitsbergen, Iceland and Greenland.
“We were there even before Denmark. Quite a few Greenlandic people have for many years said that Greenland should be a part of Norway instead of Denmark – because in Norway, we have been rewarded for how we take care of our native people.”
The adventurer and writer Graham Hoyland has taken part in four voyages in the region.
“The Viking Erik the Red sailed west over 1,000 years ago and invaded the icy island he found, calling it ‘Greenland’ in an early piece of PR spin to encourage other settlers,” said Mr Hoyland.
“It’s still a tough passage, with icebergs streaming down the east coast to meet you and the seas being notoriously violent around Cape Farewell.
“Erik the Red navigated by holding Polaris, the north star, against a mark he made on his mast. Today, GPS makes navigation much easier, but approaching the coast is tricky, pushing through pack ice into the harbour.”
For travellers who prefer a more comfortable approach, Clive Stacey of Discover the World is one of few UK operators to offer holidays in Greenland.
He told The Independent: “This is a fantastic destination to visit and has much to offer and we have been arranging holidays there for over 40 years.
Mr Stacey says the coverage given to Greenland could boost tourism – citing Iceland as a precedent.
“When the volcanic eruption in Iceland happened in 2010, producing a massive ash cloud, images of Iceland were seen around the world,” he said. “People became very interested in visiting the island, which hitherto they had not considered as a holiday destination.
“The news reports of Greenland show fascinating shots of the Arctic Island, which could in turn increase interest. That said, the infrastructure of the country is extremely limited and the capacity to handle tourists was already at its limits before this all kicked off.”
Greenland: A geo-political timeline
60 million years ago: Territory breaks away from North America in a geological rift.
4,500 years ago: The first Arctic peoples migrate to Greenland.
986: The Vikings arrive led by Erik the Red, who was banished from Iceland for three years for murder. When he returns to Iceland in 985 he tempts hundreds of settlers to migrate to what he describes as a “green land” to establish a Norse colony. Fourteen of the 25 ships reach Greenland.
1261: Norway annexes Greenland.
1500: The Norwegian settlement disappears around this time, for reasons that still elude historians.
1605: Christian IV claims Greenland for Denmark.
1941: US takes over the defence of Greenland, as the occupied Denmark is powerless to act. The Americans establish two large air bases.
1946: Denmark rejects a US offer to sell Greenland for $100m.
1951: US is granted permission to establish Thule Air Base.
1982: Greenland breaks away from Europe in a political rift. A vote of 53:47 takes the island out of the-then-European Community and into Arctic isolation.
1997: Home rule for Greenland.
2009: Self-government for Greenland.
2024: International airport opens in the capital, Nuuk.
2026: Trump administration says it is “actively” discussing a plan to buy Greenland. Prime minister Mute Egede rejects the notion, insisting: “Greenland is not for sale and will never be for sale.”
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