this post was submitted on 10 Jan 2026
350 points (100.0% liked)

Europe

8419 readers
952 users here now

News and information from Europe 🇪🇺

(Current banner: La Mancha, Spain. Feel free to post submissions for banner images.)

Rules (2024-08-30)

  1. This is an English-language community. Comments should be in English. Posts can link to non-English news sources when providing a full-text translation in the post description. Automated translations are fine, as long as they don't overly distort the content.
  2. No links to misinformation or commercial advertising. When you post outdated/historic articles, add the year of publication to the post title. Infographics must include a source and a year of creation; if possible, also provide a link to the source.
  3. Be kind to each other, and argue in good faith. Don't post direct insults nor disrespectful and condescending comments. Don't troll nor incite hatred. Don't look for novel argumentation strategies at Wikipedia's List of fallacies.
  4. No bigotry, sexism, racism, antisemitism, islamophobia, dehumanization of minorities, or glorification of National Socialism. We follow German law; don't question the statehood of Israel.
  5. Be the signal, not the noise: Strive to post insightful comments. Add "/s" when you're being sarcastic (and don't use it to break rule no. 3).
  6. If you link to paywalled information, please provide also a link to a freely available archived version. Alternatively, try to find a different source.
  7. Light-hearted content, memes, and posts about your European everyday belong in other communities.
  8. Don't evade bans. If we notice ban evasion, that will result in a permanent ban for all the accounts we can associate with you.
  9. No posts linking to speculative reporting about ongoing events with unclear backgrounds. Please wait at least 12 hours. (E.g., do not post breathless reporting on an ongoing terror attack.)
  10. Always provide context with posts: Don't post uncontextualized images or videos, and don't start discussions without giving some context first.

(This list may get expanded as necessary.)

Posts that link to the following sources will be removed

Unless they're the only sources, please also avoid The Sun, Daily Mail, any "thinktank" type organization, and non-Lemmy social media (incl. Substack). Don't link to Twitter directly, instead use xcancel.com. For Reddit, use old:reddit:com

(Lists may get expanded as necessary.)

Ban lengths, etc.

We will use some leeway to decide whether to remove a comment.

If need be, there are also bans: 3 days for lighter offenses, 7 or 14 days for bigger offenses, and permanent bans for people who don't show any willingness to participate productively. If we think the ban reason is obvious, we may not specifically write to you.

If you want to protest a removal or ban, feel free to write privately to the primary mod account @EuroMod@feddit.org

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

In a response to US President Donald Trump's latest threat to seize control of Greenland, the leaders of the Danish autonomous region's five main political parties issued a joint statement late Friday declaring the future of the island should be decided by Greenlanders.

top 37 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] No1@aussie.zone 5 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

I'm still not clear on whether there are terrorists or weapons of mass destruction on Greenland?

[–] TwodogsFighting@lemdro.id 2 points 11 hours ago

Give it another month.

[–] reksas@sopuli.xyz 7 points 14 hours ago

probably even many americans dont want to be

[–] LMurch@thelemmy.club 15 points 1 day ago

Americans don't want Greenlanders to be Americans either. We want them to be what they want to be. It's our stupid president that wants Greenlanders to be American.

[–] 5715@feddit.org 1 points 15 hours ago

Great for Greenlanders to have a united voice, this helps their cause.

[–] xxce2AAb@feddit.dk 72 points 1 day ago

Hell, a lot of Americans don't either at this point.

[–] Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org 62 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Who said they would even be "Americans"?

Ask the people of Venezuela: are they US citizens now?

Greenland will be just another poor banana republic. Under the thumb of Usa, and some stupid, corrupt governor.

[–] Barbarian@sh.itjust.works 55 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I think a better group to ask would be Puerto Ricans. They are US citizens, but as far as I'm aware (not an American myself), being a citizen without any representation or voting rights means they get fucked over a lot.

Difference between Venezuela and Greenland is that for Venezuela, they are openly saying they want regime change and compliance, not annexation. For Greenland they're explicitly calling for annexation.

Hypothetically, let's say Denmark backs down and gives up Greenland (not gonna happen, but let's assume). No way are the republicans going to give them senators and congresspeople, they'd immediately be opposed to the Republicans.

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago (3 children)

PR also doesn't want to pay federal taxes.

[–] wolfpack86@lemmy.world 4 points 15 hours ago

A US Citizen in PR cannot vote. A US Citizen resident in a foreign country can.

This is regardless of where you are born, but in which US territory you last resided (eg proper state, Puerto Rico, etc)

[–] 5715@feddit.org 1 points 15 hours ago

If taxes weren't one of your founding myths I would ask what's the deal with not paying taxes, but yeah...

[–] Dojan@pawb.social 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I mean if you're not given voting rights or representation, why would you want to pay taxes?

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

They've often (in the 90s) voted against statehood because they're currently exempt from federal personal income tax. I guess my info is a bit dated. More recently they've (non-binding) voted about 56% for statehood.

Benefits of statehood include an additional $10 billion per year in federal funds, the right to vote in presidential elections, higher Social Security and Medicare benefits, increased minimum wage, and a right for its government agencies and municipalities to file for bankruptcy.

[–] Dojan@pawb.social 3 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (1 children)

It's not like the taxes in the U.S. actually go to anything useful though. You don't have universal healthcare, childcare isn't subsidised, neither is education, hell children can get into debt over school lunches, because they're not provided either. There's no public transport to speak of, the roads are absolutely dismal in places, the State doesn't provide options for necessary infrastructure services.

I wouldn't want to pay taxes in the U.S., it just seems to seep into private pockets. My work already does that, why should I let some rich cunts double dip?

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 2 points 23 hours ago

USAid was pretty good. And our roads are pretty reasonable, mostly.

Where federal taxes are spent was fairly reasonable until this year. Could, of course, always be better. Obviously too much went to the military and the MIC.

[–] theacharnian@lemmy.ca 37 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

Greenlanders are 90% an indigenous Inuit people. They have every right to self determination, and to cast off Danish colonialism, that has a dark past: https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/02/1133382

But they are also well aware that the US is not a liberator and has been and is going to be an even worse colonial power: https://youtube.com/shorts/rlz2EOQWJgg

[–] SorteKanin@feddit.dk 7 points 13 hours ago

It's worth noting that while colonialism in the past has not been good (that goes for almost all European countries...), Greenland is not a colony of Denmark today. Greenland as well as the Faroe Islands are part of the Kingdom of Denmark (which is not the same as Denmark, the country) and has their own government and everything.

[–] Frenchgeek@lemmy.ml 1 points 13 hours ago

So Trump don't want them to be American either...

[–] apftwb@lemmy.world 25 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I didn't know that Greenlanders are 90% indigenous Inuit people.

I am even more concerned about an American invasion of Greenland now. No wonder Trump is treating Greenland like its unoccupied.

[–] plyth@feddit.org 15 points 1 day ago

Trump has made light of the concerns of Denmark, a steadfast US ally that joined the United States in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Is that a French 'told you so'?

[–] Rhoeri@piefed.world 26 points 1 day ago

Can’t blame them one bit. I am one and I don’t want to be.

[–] Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 day ago

Solidarity from Canada.

[–] bossito@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

I mean, they would never be seen as such.. they would be like Samoans or at best, Hawaiian natives..

[–] gustofwind@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago

stephen miller like “ok well that will make this much easier”

[–] axh@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (4 children)

Step one. Mass migration from mainland Europe to Greenland. At least 10M people should move to Greenland.

Step two. Sell Greenland to USA.

Step three. 10M Europeans turned Americans, flips the scale in USA politics.

Step four. USA finally takes care of school shootings, introduces exotic concepts like free healthcare and employee rights. Joins EU.

[–] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 17 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The same European that are electing fascists in their own countries?

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

No, the ones voting against exactly that.

[–] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You think those are the Europeans that would want to become Americans?

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

I think Europe is a more valuable target for fascism than Greenland, and tilting the vote would help with that.

Of course this is all kind of silly and a distraction anyway.

[–] Wrdlbrmpfd@feddit.org 9 points 1 day ago

I can understand the idea behind this, but I guess this is not the choice of the Greelanders either.

[–] Dojan@pawb.social 4 points 1 day ago

Why the hell would the onus be on Europe to fix the U.S. problems? European religious extremists are what fucked that place to begin with.

[–] Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org 7 points 1 day ago

Does not work.

These little 10 mill can only make the so-called democrats win once. That does not bring all these changes that you are dreaming of. Usa needs some much stronger change, before things can improve to any meaningful extend.

[–] zaphod@sopuli.xyz -3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Sucks to be them then, because they already are Americans. Just not US Americans.

[–] ajoebyanyothername@lemmy.world 1 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (1 children)

Where do you think Greenland is?

Edit: Do you know what, I immediately looked this up, and it is considered geographically to be part of North America, so I retract my snark. But I do still disagree with the sentiment of your comment.

[–] zaphod@sopuli.xyz 1 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Though a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with the European kingdoms of Norway and Denmark for more than a millennium, beginning in 986.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenland

[–] ajoebyanyothername@lemmy.world 1 points 10 hours ago

Fair. Think I was editing my comment while you were replying. However, I don't think anyone outside of USA refers to themselves as American, particularly those people from Greenland.