The Second Foreign and Security Policy Opinion Poll in Greenland

Nasiffik – Centre for Foreign & Security Policy at Ilisimatusarfik (University of Greenland) has conducted a public opinion poll amongst a representative sample of the Greenlandic population on foreign and security policy issues in spring 2024. It is the second survey of its kind after a similar survey report was published in 2021. The data-collection was done by EPINION in Denmark (cf. appendix about methods). The survey is funded by the Konrad- Adenauer-Stiftung in Stockholm, Sweden, Greenland Research Council, Nuuk, Greenland, and Nasiffik at Ilisimatusarfik, Nuuk, Greenland. Since we published a similar survey in 2021,1 Arctic governance has been severely challenged by the ongoing war in Ukraine. The world has witnessed a more turbulent time in relation to security issues; in consequence, international relations have come further to the fore. Some spillover effects from Russia’s (re-)invasion of Ukraine also have regional ramifications in the Arctic. The work in the Arctic Council came to a pause during the Russian chairship in March 2022 and has only very slowly been restored during the Norwegian chairship with online meetings in the working groups including some tentative Russian participation. Naalakkersuisut (the Government of Greenland) took an early decision in consensus with the ‘like-minded states’’ decision to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and therefore the cooperation with Russia has been put on hold.2 The Kingdom of Denmark is taking over the chairship of the Arctic Council in spring 2025 and Greenland has been adamant in playing a key role, as the only country of the Kingdom located in the Arctic. In February 2024, Naalakkersuisut published a strategy on foreign, security, and defense policy, which demonstrates an orientation towards more cooperation towards especially the North American Arctic. The US is seen as a natural shelter country in relation to defense and security based on the long historical ties with the Pituffik Space Base (formerly the Thule Air Base) as the only operating American base in the country.