Greenland research centre halts new US ties

The Greenland Institute of Natural Resources has stopped initiating new projects with US-based partners. The move is a direct response to the Trump administration's mass dismissal of government scientists and the deletion of climate data from federal websites.

Director Josephine Nymand told AFP: "I can confirm that we... made the decision to only engage in projects with US partners that we already are or have been working with." The policy shift is designed to shield the centre's researchers and its databases from US political interference.

Nymand explained to KNR, Greenland's public broadcaster, that Washington has begun blocking some foreign scientists from entering the country. "I can't do much to help our compatriots if they are detained" on arrival in the United States, she said. "That's why we decided the best thing was not to go there in the current situation."

This scientific freeze has direct consequences for Europe's resource economy. The institute carries out research on Arctic ecosystems and is the primary body monitoring Greenland's environment and biological resources. Because the island is mineral-rich, reliable environmental data from the centre is critical for any future commercial extraction or infrastructure investment.

Disrupting the flow of this data complicates the risk assessments required by markets. Washington's approach to scientific cooperation has already seen billions of dollars slashed from public research budgets. For European businesses, the loss of collaborative research means a narrower view of environmental shifts in a territory that holds significant economic potential.

The institutional wall-building reflects a deepening geopolitical rift. Last week, US President Donald Trump renewed his assertion that Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, "should be controlled by the United States." This abruptly ended months of diplomatic efforts by European allies to persuade him to abandon the demand.