Greenland annexation threats ‘bewildering,’ Nunavut premier says
John Main looks ahead as new government takes shape
Premier John Main, seen here during his November 2025 swearing-in ceremony, shared his thoughts on Greenland in the face of annexation threats from the United States. (File photo by Jeff Pelletier)
As Premier John Main settles into his new role at the head of Nunavut’s government, he says he’s aware of annexation threats from the United States toward Greenland but it’s difficult to process them.
“It is quite bewildering to understand the thought processes [of] some of the international actors around Greenland,” Main said in an interview.
“We’re in support of their desire for self-determination, of course, and we all know the horrible history of colonization and military interests, and how they’ve impacted the North in the past.”
Main did not reference U.S. President Donald Trump or any members of his administration by name.
But it’s Trump and his administration who have been ramping up calls over the past week to acquire the Arctic territory, which sits east of Nunavut.
Trump has mused about buying or using the military to acquire the largest island in the world, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark and home to approximately 56,000 people, the vast majority of whom are Inuit.
Nunavut maintains active agreements with Greenland, Main noted, including on the topic of fisheries.
Actions by the U.S. toward Greenland are something Main says he is “going to have to keep a close eye on.”
“We stand in solidarity with Greenlanders,” he said. “It’s deeply troubling.”
Apart from international diplomacy, the past two months have been busy for Main as he settles into his new role as premier.
From moving into his new office, to getting to know the Government of Nunavut’s partners and his first meetings with other premiers and Prime Minister Mark Carney, there has been “a lot of learning,” Main said.
Main’s government has not released its mandate yet. That is currently in the works in collaboration with cabinet and regular MLAs, with hopes to release it during the March legislative sitting.
Main is “really excited” for a full caucus meeting scheduled later this month, when all 22 members will have their say in the government’s four-year plan.
“There’s a lot of great ideas, but ideas without money have no legs,” he said.
The government’s 2026-27 capital budget is also set to be tabled in March, while the 2026-27 operations budget is expected to come after MLAs reconvene in May, said Main, who is also the finance minister.
Main plans to meet with Carney and his fellow premiers in Ottawa this month. Around that time, he also expects to fly his cabinet south for meetings with federal officials.
It’s exciting, Main says, that the federal government is interested in bolstering Arctic sovereignty and security.
However, sovereignty can only be asserted with “healthy communities,” he said. That means adequate housing, health care, power generation and access to clean drinking water.
“The federal interest in the North and in Nunavut needs to be based on our terms and on what we need, not what they want to superimpose on top of us,” Main said.
“It needs to start with the realities in the territory, which are challenging on a good day.”
If America invades Canada , i hope , we get , a Mcdonalds , so i can become morbidly obese !!
I don’t know the levels of gun ownership and proficiency in Greenland, but if it’s anything like Nunavut, any invading force would face some pretty strong guerilla warfare.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the percentage of the population who can blast the head off of a ptarmigan at 100m here is higher than anywhere else on the planet.
Problem with greenland is , that its not afghanstan or vietnam , Insert , some mujahideen and veit cong with singers and RPG , make for a good war , until , the B-52s start carpet bombing.
Right… can you drop a precision guided munition from 45,000 feet and blow up an entire building? I kinda doubt it.
Well I hope the new Premier Main will not be bewildered to long and come out with a strong and active Nunavut position on the rhetoric that is coming from Trump. Our North north needs strengthening and now. No more words lets see actions.
With the option of paying people to become American. I doubt they would actually do that but if they do i sure hope anyone that considers it thinks about amount of money that is generationaly life changing. It would need to be enough to buy a home and start a business that can support your family and can be passed down to your kids.
Not just enough to by a skidoo, boat and go on a holiday.
first hospital bill = you are in a million dollar debt
Nunatsiaq news, you will. Let anything get printed on these comment posts, trolls and keyboard warriors,
True, it seems the only time scrutiny is applied is to insightful comments that prick at Nunatsiaq’s sacred cows.
@ Ian
Nunatsiaq news, you will. Let anything get printed on these comment posts….
NO!!! They don’t.
I’ve attempted to have very measured comments in referencing Nunavik issues, sometimes in the political realm of the region, only to have the comments NOT POSTED.
I know NN has in the past sought Financial lifelines from political bodies in the Nunavik region and strongly suspect they do no wish to piss off potential suitors for their financial needs.
For me, I have preserved many of my unprinted comments for a book I am currently outlining a draft for, including the hostile takeover of AMI and the “free pass” NN gave to the “Destroyer of Volunteering” by allowing a one-sided untrue “Guest Editorial” from her.
Greenlanders probably tired of trump. Trump all he does is talk trash, make wars. Arent they tired of hearing americans always talking trash.
lol John, international issues are above your pay grade…leave it to Carney, let’s watch and see what he’s gonna do. Put your time and effort to fixing medical travel instead.
“Above your pay grade” it rings a bell as Joe Biden’s words.
If greenland calls themselves their own country of inuit, sure join your inuit nunavut neighbors and join the pain. Become americans and be alongside with canada our land use planning, our ancient language, is dying. Join the pain, lose everything, your culture your language, make it extinct.
Get real. Greenland would be a great place to run away from the crazies. Also a place not worth bombing in the worst of times.
Well well that follow the lead of the States hasn’t been and will not be peace order or good government. DT is the true face of their country, his predecessors were hiding behind a wall of propaganda. Interference meddling could easily be their middle names.
Well in reading this article (Bewildering) and the article from yesterday (Spicy Times); perhaps Premier Main and President Obed over at ITK can get together, call a press conference for Photo-ops and enter into an MOU to agree to work together to prove to Nunavummiut that these are indeed, “Bewildering Spicy Times”!
We truly are doomed up here in the North.