Nunavut politicians raise Greenland flag as Trump escalates annexation threat

IQALUIT – Members of Nunavut’s legislative assembly raised Greenland’s flag Tuesday to show in solidarity with the Inuit-majority island pushing back against annexation threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Speaker David Joanasie said dozens attended the afternoon flag-raising outside the legislature in downtown Iqaluit, including Premier John Main, the representative of the Danish consulate in Iqaluit and Greenlanders living in Nunavut.

“It was a great crowd. People driving by were honking their horns, so it was great to hear,” Joanasie said in an interview.

“With what’s going on across the Arctic, around the world (with) our neighbours in the east, we thought it was very fitting for the legislature to show our support and empathy with the people of Greenland … we are in support of their right to self-determination.”

Nunavut’s Inuit have close ties with the Inuit who make up a large portion of Greenland’s population, Joanasie added.

About 5,000 thousand years ago, people began migrating to Greenland from North America, including Inuit.

Today, Greenland’s population stands at about 57,000 and most estimates suggest 90 per cent of the territory is Inuit. The island is under Danish sovereignty.

Trump has escalated his threat to annex Greenland in recent days, leaving many of America’s closest allies warning that a takeover would shatter the NATO alliance.

Earlier Tuesday, the president posted an AI-generated photo of himself meeting with European leaders in the Oval Office, next to a map of the Western Hemisphere. American flags covered Greenland, Canada, Cuba and Venezuela on the map.

Last Saturday, Trump threatened in another post that he would impose a 10 per cent import tax on eight European nations refusing to support his planned Greenland takeover. The rate would jump to 25 per cent in June, he said, if there was no takeover deal in place.

The weight of the threat was felt in Nunavut.

Dozens marched Saturday in Iqaluit in support of Greenland, and at the same time protests against Trump filled streets in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk.

Joanasie said the rally and flag-raising in Iqaluit reflect centuries-old Inuit ties across Canada, Greenland, Alaska and Siberia.

“Nunavut and Greenland have a long history. We have family ties. There’s a cultural connection,” he said.

“My colleagues at the legislature have roots. We have a member from Cambridge Bay, his mother is from Greenland.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2026.