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The Documentary Podcast

World Questions - Greenland

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Documentary, Society & Culture

4.32.7K Ratings

🗓️ 7 January 2026

⏱️ 49 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In a programme which first aired in November 2025, Jonny Dymond chairs a debate about the future of Greenland. Leading Greenlandic and Danish politicians discuss questions of American territorial ambitions, independence, mining and human rights on this Arctic island.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Welcome to the documentary from the BBC World Service. I'm Johnny Diamond. In November, we record in an episode of World Questions which looked at the future of Greenland, with leading politicians and the public from across Greenland and Denmark.

0:16.5

Since then, President Trump has repeated his desire to take over and control this vast Arctic territory,

0:23.9

which is a former colony of Denmark, now part of the kingdom of Denmark and the Faroe Islands.

0:29.9

It has its own language and parliament, but it remains dependent upon Denmark for half its budget,

0:35.9

and Denmark currently has control of key areas such as foreign

0:39.5

policy and defence, and Denmark is, of course, a member of the NATO Military Alliance. It's the

0:45.8

world's largest island, extending more than 2,600 kilometres from north to south, and over

0:51.9

1,050 kilometres from east to west at its widest point,

0:57.2

a wilderness in the Arctic, most of which is covered in snow and ice all year round. Greenland's

1:03.7

home to around 57,000 people, mostly Inuits, who live on the southern tip of the island. And it's been in the news ever since

1:12.3

President Trump signalled his desire to buy it back in 2019. He continues to make that case,

1:20.3

arguing ownership of the island is essential to international security. But could he also be

1:26.3

eyeing up the natural resources that lie beneath the

1:29.8

ice? Greenland has vast supplies of lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements which are vital

1:36.7

for making everything from mobile phones to batteries and electric motors. So is Greenland up for sale.

1:46.8

And what about other issues like infrastructure,

1:53.0

transport and mining for those who live there? Joining me to debate these issues and more and take questions from the public is our panel. Naya Natanielsen is a Greenlandic politician of the Inuit

1:59.4

Atagatayyit Party. She's currently Minister of Industry,

2:03.7

raw materials, mining, energy, law enforcement and equality. Quite a portfolio. She joins us from

2:10.1

Newk the capital of Greenland. Welcome, Nya. Louis Elholm is an MP in the Danish Parliament.

2:16.5

She is with the Vestra Party, part of the governing

2:19.0

coalition, and she's their party spokeswoman on Greenland. Good to have you, Louise. Kunofenka is a

...

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