Is Greenland still on Washington’s agenda? Who can defend the island?
Conversation with Ole Aggo Markussen, Greenlandic political analyst and development expert with more than 16 years of experience in senior roles in government, energy sector, fisheries, employer organizations, and media.
When: 11 December 2025, 16:00-17:00, Vienna time; 13:00-14:00 Nuuk time.
Where: online
Zoom link will be sent one day before the event.
Please register HERE.
Speaker
Ole Aggo Markussen has more than 16 years of leadership experience across key sectors in Greenland, including government, energy, fisheries, employer organizations, and media. He has worked extensively with strategic development, political processes, communication, and facilitation.
His career includes senior roles in the Government of Greenland (Home Rule/Self-Government) as ministerial secretary, director of the employers’ association NUSUKA, and coordination and secretariat chief at Nukissiorfiit, where he led strategic initiatives, organizational development, and communication.
Ole also worked in journalism as editor-in-chief of Nunarput.gl. He holds a BA in Journalism from Ilisimatusarfik and has completed graduate studies in international marketing, supply chain management, leadership development, and public-sector IT strategy. Ole is based in Nuuk, capital of Greenland.
Background
Greenland, an autonomous territory in the Kingdom of Denmark, the world’s largest island with 56 000 residents and significant deposits of sought after minerals has become a target of the US president Donald Trump. He aspires to annex it.
In March 2025, Trump said that control of Greenland was essential "for national security and international security."
There were several US attempts to buy Greenland. In 1867, after buying Alaska from Russia, US Secretary of State William H Seward led negotiations to buy Greenland from Denmark. The attempt failed. In 1946, the US offered to pay $100m (equivalent to $1.2bn today) for the territory. The Danish government refused. Trump also tried to buy Greenland during his first presidential term.
Both Denmark and the Greenlandic government rejected the 2019 proposal, saying: "Greenland is not for sale."
Do Greenlanders feel European? What do Greenlanders think of the announced annexation? Can anything be done to stop the US plans? Could Denmark halt the US plans?
Ole Aggo will explore these and other issues related to the island and its peoples. Greenland has been a disputed territory for centuries and it is currently part of the renewed attempt to reshape the global order.
Concept and Moderation
Mirjana Tomic, fjum/Presseclub Concordia
Format
Short presentation followed by Q&A
Target Audience
Journalists, media professionals and researchers
Maximum number of participants: 100