This week, we hosted a roundtable on “Greenland in EU, American and international politics” as part of the SDG Academy lecture series. The discussion brought together VU researchers and students from different disciplines to reflect on Greenland’s changing position in the world.
Özlem Terzi, Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, VU, guided the discussion by placing current developments in a longer historical perspective which is characterised by from post-war decolonisation and Greenland’s path towards greater autonomy, including home rule in 1979 and self-government since 2009.
Sarah Poss, PhD Candidate and Junior Teacher in the Philosophy, Politics, Economics (PPE) Programme, VU, highlighted that US interest in Greenland and the Arctic is not new but part of a longer history of strategic ambitions in the region. She connected current developments to ideas of hegemonic decline, where a leading power begins to lose its dominant position. Such periods are often marked by uncertainty and chaos, which can help explain the current unpredictability in US foreign policy towards Greenland and the Arctic.
Frederikke Knudsen, a PPE Student at VU and former defence intern at the Danish embassy in Sweden, provided a regional perspective. She reflected on how the US interest in Greenland sparked debates in Denmark around identity, defence and autonomy. She also highlighted the difference between domestic and international dynamics in Denmark. While Greenland has become more important in international debates, this shift has not been clearly reflected in recent Danish elections.
Oscar Widerberg, Associate Professor of the Department of Environmental Policy Analysis at the Institute for Environmental Studies, VU, showed how Arctic cooperation frameworks like the Arctic Council and UNCLOS are under strain in a changing geopolitical order, with implications for climate research and international collaboration. He introduced the concept of a “multiplex world order”, where power is more fragmented and different actors lead on different issues. Importantly, he noted that not all parts of society move in the same direction: While geopolitics and trade may become more divided, science could remain a space for cooperation. In this context, science diplomacy may become an important form of soft power.
Overall, the discussion highlighted how Greenland sits at the centre of several interconnected global challenges. Questions of sovereignty and self-determination remain crucial, as Greenland navigates its relationship with Denmark and its possible future independence. At the same time, the island’s natural resources are gaining attention in the context of the green transition, although their accessibility remains a major practical challenge. Greenland and the Arctic in general arealso becoming more important in terms of security and defence, with growing uncertainty around traditional alliances and shifting global priorities. Yet, despite rising tensions, there may still be space for cooperation, particularly in scientific research, where a more fragmented, “multiplex” world order could create opportunities for continued collaboration and the use of science diplomacy as a bridge between actors.
This event has been organised by the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute (ASI) and its research cluster on Arctic Change. By bringing together different perspectives, ASI creates space for open and informed conversations about complex global issues and facilitates collaboration across disciplines and sectors – increasingly important when challenges like climate change, sustainability and geopolitics become more connected.
We want to thank all speakers and participants for a thoughtful and engaging discussion.
