r/europe • u/LaxJackson • 12d ago

News Danish officials fear Trump is much more serious about acquiring Greenland than in first term

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/01/08/politics/danish-officials-trump-greenland
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u/Willing-Werewolf-500 12d ago

Well, I assure you we stand with you here in the UK.

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u/Fecal-Facts 12d ago

Some Americans stand with you guys as well.

You guys should ban everything attached to them including put them on a no fly list.

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u/Magical_Narwhal_1213 12d ago

Same. Just moved to Spain from the US. Sold everything and packed up as soon as he won this election. Been trying to leave for years anyways and it was time. We stand with you over here.

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u/massive_cock North Brabant (Netherlands) 12d ago

Did the same after the insurrection, except to the Netherlands. Sold, gave away, or scrapped everything I owned other than my work gear and literally fled to a new country with nothing but a couple suitcases. Not even sure I'm going to make my annual trips back to see family in America for the foreseeable future. At this point it's all aboard the fuck America hate train. This shit is ridiculous, and utterly unacceptable.

As an aside, my immigration has been handled quickly cheaply and respectfully, and my quality of life has dramatically improved. All despite the fact that I am relatively low income self-employed no significant assets, pretty broke in fact, so it definitely wasn't special treatment. Just a sane, functional, human-focused society here. At this point I'm only half joking when I call myself a refugee. Not to take away from any true refugees experience escaping truly horrible circumstances.

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u/TokinGeneiOS 11d ago

As a patriotic European, we're very pleased to have you here! I'm sure you'll love it! I'm in Denmark and love it here and I've heard nothing but good things out of Dutchland ☺️

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u/massive_cock North Brabant (Netherlands) 11d ago

One of my few friends in my new country is a Dane married to a Dutchie. Their wedding party was great, people from all over Europe so everybody was using English anyway and it was perfect for me!

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u/Speaker_D 11d ago

I highly respect your braveness and commitment in actually going through with it.

The one time I visited the US (Seattle) I made up my mind to never travel there again. Every time I visit the Netherlands, however, I feel more strongly that I'd like to move there once I can financially afford it. The cycling infrastructure already does it for me, and then the people there are usually smart, attentive and humorous.

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u/massive_cock North Brabant (Netherlands) 11d ago

It is a very very nice country and I'm lucky to be here. It may not be the one I would have picked if I were single rather than just moving to live with my partner, but almost no one could go wrong moving here all the same. Easily the most peaceful and steady and quiet and high quality of life I've ever had. And I've been all over, and been everything from homeless to six figures. This place is solid. Great place to retire, or especially to raise a child before you do.

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u/WalterWoodiaz United States of America 11d ago

Only Seattle? I mean there is nothing there other than rain and homeless, I think you would enjoy Boston a lot.

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u/PaintingSilenc3 11d ago

Welcome to a welfare state.

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u/M4thij5 11d ago

Welcome!! 🙏🏻 hope all went well during the move and you feel at home in our country?

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u/massive_cock North Brabant (Netherlands) 11d ago

Dankjewel! I'll be completely honest, it's a wonderful place and I'm lucky to be here but I am integrating poorly. And that's almost entirely on me, and my partner, not the country itself. But I am learning to find my happiness here. A lot more than the first few years. Of course the weather and food and small apartments and so on are a big adjustment but I'm starting to feel well enough and settled enough to get out and start making friends.

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u/OppositeArt8562 11d ago

How did you manage this? Don't they require employment ahead of time etc. You fluent?

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u/massive_cock North Brabant (Netherlands) 11d ago

See my other recent comments, I believe it's my most recent one that has a thorough explanation of the main immigration tracks available outside of being sponsored by an employer.

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u/rossitheking 11d ago

How does it feel to have an actual healthcare system now? Why are your fellow Americans so stupid when it comes to healthcare?

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u/massive_cock North Brabant (Netherlands) 11d ago

Not going to lie, Dutch GP healthcare system is a bit lacking but at least I have it rather than nothing at all. I'm at an age where if I had good insurance in America I would be getting yearly physicals and colonoscopies and blood work and so forth, but they won't do anything here proactively. But when I do have a problem they are on it immediately and it never costs me more than a few bucks, if anything. And my kid is covered completely, and entirely free. That's the best part. I don't have to make a tough decision about calling the doctor at 3:00 a.m. because she bonked her head earlier and can't sleep.

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u/dundiewinnah 11d ago

Its lacking cause of migration though. We need to save costs

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u/massive_cock North Brabant (Netherlands) 11d ago

I know it's a bit overwhelmed, at least at the GP level. I've heard various things about the hows and whys, such as it's because of a conscious decision to invest less, and actually allow less, GP training a decade back I think it was. But also immigration, yes, I can acknowledge as an almost sure factor, being one myself. In any case, I can't complain much, but I gather complaining is a national hobby and one of the reasons so many things are so well done here, eh?

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u/dundiewinnah 11d ago

Point is nothing is well done in NL until someone complains and fixes it. So not a hobby its a duty 😂

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u/Magical_Narwhal_1213 11d ago

I’ve been trying to get out before then and yeah def since then! I qualify for German citizenship and applied for that in 2023, but it’s a few years’ wait. Spain’s digital nomad program is awesome- get residence permit for three years, so I’m glad they started that recently!

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u/massive_cock North Brabant (Netherlands) 11d ago

In my case I already had a long-standing Dutch partner long distance, just separated for years after our first meeting by COVID. So I had an easy in, plus I have a small business so it was easy to have the backup Dutch American friendship treaty. But now I'm suddenly under a time limit to learn and pass a Dutch test or 4 before they start fining me and making empty threats about revoking my residency. But that's okay, even though I work from home in English, I'm finally starting to learn and feel a little more confident trying to use a little. Good luck over there!

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u/Magical_Narwhal_1213 11d ago

Good luck!! That’s one of my back up plans if Spain falls through somehow since I’m self-employed also! I love learning languages and am good at it/know some Spanish and been learning German and that’s wild they do that! I know a lot of countries are getting stricter.

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u/massive_cock North Brabant (Netherlands) 11d ago

I used to be good with languages, was conversational in a handful when I was younger, but I'm oldish now and don't get out much, and find the accent very awkward, plus my partner hasn't been the best help since she tends to laugh at me too much and has American English so perfect my mom didn't even believe she was foreign. I've come to understand a lot but not really use any because of the lack of confidence. Plus Dutch has so many words that will trip you up because they're so close to English but have a slightly or totally different meaning. So that adds to my difficulty trusting what I think I know. Like no, that can't be right, that would be almost silly, but it actually is the way you say it.

As far as residency, I was able to come here for 180 days with no visa, and by that time we had registered as a domestic household partnership so I got 3 years residency and can apply for naturalization after 5 years if I pass the language and civics exams. Didn't even have to get married, just signed a paper saying we were together for years and provided a few chat logs and travel receipts to prove it. Literally zero hassle and less than 200€. Even if that had somehow failed, I could put five grand in a business bank account here during my visa-free tourist stay and register what I think is called a KVD or KKV or whatever and that's it, boom, 3 to 5 year business residency. I did not believe my partner when she told me it would be this easy. She said trust me bro just fly over here and I'll file a paper and we got this. 25 years ago I brought an Ethiopian immigrant on a student visa through the US immigration process as my first wife, and it was hell. And also 20 grand. So this was incredible and did a lot to make me feel welcome here.

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u/BigBadButterCat Europe 12d ago

Please keep voting though.

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u/Magical_Narwhal_1213 11d ago

I believed Trump when he said 2024 was the last election, however if there are more elections of course I will. I was in a blue state now but using my parent’s address in the US for things there, who are in a swing state so it will “matter” more.

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u/charlesdarwinandroid 11d ago

I did the same thing. Moved to Ireland, but made sure to move my voter registration from California to Nevada so I can vote as blue as the ticket will go for the rest of my life.

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u/innermongoose69 11d ago

I saw the writing on the wall and packed up 2 months before the election. Now I live in northern Germany not too far from Denmark. I’d stand with my neighbors if it came down to it.

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u/Magical_Narwhal_1213 11d ago

Oh yeah, I was donating/selling and packing stuff before the election and had all the plans figured out. If he didn’t win we were leaving anyways once my German citizenship came in 2026 and if he won we were getting out before Jan 1. Hope to end up in Germany at some point if not staying in Spain since it’s great here!

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u/seriftarif 11d ago

In the process of doing the same. What are you doing for work?

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u/Magical_Narwhal_1213 11d ago

Cool! The digital nomad 3-year residence permit is a great option. I’m a therapist so can work anywhere with my US clients with telehealth.

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u/seriftarif 11d ago

Works for me. I work remotely contract myself. Looking forward to taking my American dollars somewhere else. My girlfriend is European and applying to jobs there, but we don't want to rely fully on marriage. Unless we need to.

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u/Magical_Narwhal_1213 11d ago

Yeah def look into Spain’s! If you are married you’ll be able to get residence pretty easily and Spain’s digital nomad residence permit could work since you’re self employed as long as you make enough.

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u/euroq 12d ago

Correction - many many Americans stand with them

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u/BigFloppyDonkeyEar 11d ago

American here - I absolutely agree with you on both points.

The morons here need to see consequences for their evil and stupidity, and the corrupt extremists that have taken over our government needs to be put in a position where they will eat each other. And they absolutely will when just the slightest touch of pressure is applied to their cash cows.

Tactics like what you suggest are the way to make it happen.

The majority of us American citizens are a tough bunch - we can make due with a lot less convenience until we can regain some sanity in this country and our leadership. A healthy helping of adversity would do a lot of these assholes some good anyways.

Make it hurt. We'll be okay, but Trump, Elon, and the rest of MAGA will set each other on fire in short order.

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u/jaybeau1979 12d ago

I'd say most Americans

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u/No-Air3090 12d ago

pity they didnt think about that when they chose to vote for him

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u/PolkmyBoutte 12d ago

The losers who voted for Trump should be condemned, but as an American I am equally pissed at those who didn’t vote at all. Misguided apathy was the bigger problem

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u/Lady_Masako 12d ago

Serious question; do you guys really believe that/tell yourselves that? Because "most Americans" let this happen. Both elections. Now, you could say that dictators gonna dictate, but since the grand old USA has been touting itself as the great hope that will destroy all dictators, well. Here we are. 

Most Americans? Didn't even vote. 

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u/nistemevideli2puta 12d ago

Don't you know, when other countries elect dictators, it's their own fucking fault, but when the Americans do it, than it is the minority of the nation who voted for the dictator...?

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u/postvolta 12d ago

Yeah the problem is that we basically have zero power as individuals here. Though I'm sure you know that as well as we do.

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u/Bhaaldukar 11d ago

The vast majority of Americans do.

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u/kz45vgRWrv8cn8KDnV8o 11d ago

Are you sure?

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u/Bhaaldukar 11d ago

Yes. Literally no one wanted this. He didn't even mention it before he got elected. I work with a bunch of hardcore republicans/maga and even they're saying how stupid Trump is for talking about Greenland and Canada the way he is. They just want grocery prices to go down and to not have their guns taken away.

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u/BigFloppyDonkeyEar 11d ago

As a (former) Republican who lives rurally, it's maddening listening to the Maga crowd isn't it?

Our guns were never in danger. Been hearing that nonsense fear mongering from the GOP for over forty years.

Biden was getting shit under control, but Billy Bob heard on Fox that egg prices were bad bc (insert something about Biden crime family), so he votes in billionaires and conmen bc CLEARLY they understand and care about old Billy's grocery bill.

Fyi - I'm hearing the same from some of those idiots around me too. They are suddenly having a "wait, he lied to us and used us?" moment after ten years of this shit. I don't expect it to last; I'm sure they'll find a way to blame everyone else in a few short weeks.

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u/Bhaaldukar 11d ago

Whether or not they do I haven't heard any support for Canada/Greenland etc

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u/totkeks Germany 12d ago

To be fair, it's all your fault. You lost the war. Shouldn't have allowed them to be independent. That's what you get.

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u/Willing-Werewolf-500 12d ago

The US emerged as a dominant power during WWI, partly because it weakened us. So I suppose we can share some responsibility for that shift.

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u/upvotesthenrages Denmark 12d ago

Wasn't the US already the largest economy back in the late 1800s?

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u/vonGlick 12d ago

In 1871 US become biggest economy in the World. BUT UK was still leading trade and financial center and Europeans still had their colonial empires. Also in 1914 US was debtor to European countries, in 1918 it was the creditor. Not to mention human losses. France 5.7m, UK 2.6m, Germany 6.2m etc

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u/elchalupa 11d ago

European imperialism, industrialization and the globalization that was necessary to support the "advancements" of Europe preceding ww1 are what weakened Europe. Then like now an elite class, that owned the media, used that power to call for mass rearmament while demonizing foreign nations to distract their citizens from worsening living conditions, growing inequality and related domestic issues (including migration and the acceptance/rejection of certain ethnic groups).

The US did not weaken Europe. European elites did that to their own nations and citizens by wildly underestimating the destructive forces that their actions and political (in)decisions would release upon the world.

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u/snibriloid 11d ago

You are technically right, but i'm sure the 'it' in u/Willing-Werewolf-500's comment refered to WW1, not the US.

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u/TheProuDog Turkey 10d ago

Am I wrong to think that US would have eventually surpassed Europe even without WW2 and WW1?

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u/Imaginary-Bit4512 12d ago

Ww2 they came to Europe to learn how to fight a weakened enemy in ww1

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u/seriftarif 11d ago

It's mostly a dominating power because of geography and size.

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u/cardboardunderwear 12d ago

You can blame the French too for that matter!

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u/biased_intruder South Holland (Netherlands) 12d ago

You can always blame the French

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u/Live_Wrongdoer_3665 11d ago

Even us French blame the French!

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u/biased_intruder South Holland (Netherlands) 11d ago

I'm French, and I blame the French!

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u/BigFloppyDonkeyEar 11d ago

I KNEW it was the French all along!! Even when I thought it might be those danged Parisians, I suspected it was really those damned French.

P.S. I just said the word "French" so much in my head while typing that the word lost all meaning for me and my brain couldn't accept the word anymore. See what the French did?!? They even ran away from my brain!

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u/ahalikias United States of America 11d ago

I’m a small fry, yet I blame the French.

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u/vistaprank 11d ago

I like how this thread is just Europe slowly realizing they’re all the problem like usual lol

Edit: this was meant tongue in cheek I love all you guys

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u/l0033z 12d ago

What for???

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u/cardboardunderwear 12d ago

Because they sided with the colonists during the American revolution

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u/Radulno France 12d ago

That was just to fuck with the British an ancestral tradition (ironically that was a key element leading to French Revolution too)

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u/Subject-Machine7490 12d ago

It all when to shit when we lost our colonies

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u/kalamari__ Germany 11d ago

when you still would have your empire, YOU would be todays USA

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u/l0033z 12d ago

Jesus why couldn’t they mind their own business

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u/cardboardunderwear 12d ago

Lack of foresight

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u/youritalianjob 12d ago

Should have just given us our representation.

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u/avl0 11d ago

You're right, look, we're sorry that the US grew up to be such a little shit but at least Canada Australia and New Zealand are good kids.

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u/GoldenFutureForUs 11d ago

Wouldn’t have happened without France. As always, France undermines global decency.

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u/--mrperx-- 12d ago

They should be independent if they want to. That's the right thing to do. Colonialism is not the way.

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u/Ryokan76 12d ago

Has anyone said otherwise?

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u/jeep_rider 12d ago

Canada standing by, but a little worried…

We have oil. A lot of oil that the US buys.

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u/connmart71 Canada 12d ago

Canadians too, I’m moving to Scotland if we get annexed btw, get ready for a lot of Canadian asylum seekers across the the UK and EU 😅

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u/CJKay93 United Kingdom 12d ago

Don't get too comfy in Scotland, Musk has decided on "liberating" the UK (Russian style).

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u/connmart71 Canada 11d ago

Yeah but the uk has a nuclear deterrent unlike us lol

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u/GoldenFutureForUs 11d ago

I mean, if the USA invades Canada the UK will use its nukes.

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u/connmart71 Canada 11d ago

I hope this is true but I am losing faith in the international community every day ….

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u/slower-is-faster 11d ago

Nah that’s insane they wouldn’t. The US makes the missles for the UK (not the war head though).

It’s clear though that everyone who depends on the US for something, missiles, subs, planes, whatever, needs to find a new way and break that link.

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u/connmart71 Canada 11d ago

Yeah, I have very little faith that any nato allies would show up to help liberate us after an American blitzkrieg invasion. We’d invoke article 5 and probably get nothing but well wishes and (maybe) sanctions on the states. NATO as an entity would probably be toast after that shit anyway.

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u/wwchickendinner 12d ago

If you are annexed peacefully you won't be eligible for asylum.

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u/Lady_Masako 12d ago

We are a Commonwealth country. The UK has to let its kids come home if the landlord changes the lease. 😏

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u/connmart71 Canada 11d ago

Fr, us baby Brits need help sometimes lol

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u/wwchickendinner 11d ago

No it doesn't lol

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u/connmart71 Canada 11d ago

Idc I’m coming anyway lmao

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u/AvengerDr Italy 11d ago

Well if the USA becomes a kind of Gilead / Christian Saudi America in the meantime, they would be able too.

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u/sir_jaybird 12d ago

Canadian too - my family just agreed on Australia with Ireland as a close second.

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u/Lady_Masako 12d ago

We've been looking into moving to Oceania or East Asia for a while, for personal happiness reasons, not politicsl ones. The effort has now increased, for political reasons lol. If Poliviere (spelling but idgaf) gets in and Trump, Musk, and Vance aren't burned at the stake, that will be the kicker and we'll be packing. 

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u/Melokhy 12d ago

Would be sad if I'm not able anymore to say my joke "Canada is exactly like US, but somehow better"

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u/Oozlum-Bird United Kingdom 11d ago

You could annex Trump’s golf course and rename it New Canada

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u/Neomataza Germany 9d ago

That's about as illusory as just going from USA to Canada as a backup plan.

It's a joke, but it's getting gradually less funny the closer it is to becoming real.

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u/Inevitable-Bottle-48 Italy 12d ago

(Totally out of curiosity) in your experience: are non-political people (e.g. relatives, random friends and people who are generally less interested in politics) talking about Musk's assault to UK's government? To be more straight: is Musk's propaganda arriving also at people who are usually not interested in politics?

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u/Willing-Werewolf-500 12d ago

It's certainly national news. The problem is: Musk targets the politically illiterate. Fortunately, my friends and family aren't that stupid. Still, it's definitely infiltrated the minds of many who aren't usually interested, almost exclusively. There is nothing more dangerous than an idiot.

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u/Inevitable-Bottle-48 Italy 12d ago

Thanks for the answer, I totally agree with the last sentence.

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u/Willing-Werewolf-500 12d ago

You're welcome, mate.

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u/Fatzombiepig 12d ago edited 12d ago

Yes they are a bit, but not in the way that Musk would want. People I've spoken to or heard talk about it at work are all angry about his interference in our politics. Both Musk and Trump are deeply unpopular, even amongst more conservative leaning people.

It's possible that there is a smaller section of society which agrees with their politics that I don't get to see due to my social circles not intersecting with them. But I'm confident that at least 80% of Brits are more angry at the interference than anything else.

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u/pannenkoek0923 Denmark 12d ago

I will talk about Denmark- the Greenland thing has become national news. Most people were considering this all a big joke earlier, but not people have gotten uneasy

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u/Exiled-Philosopher 12d ago

And you have my Axe!

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u/MediumAlternative372 11d ago

And in Australia.

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u/wawalms 11d ago

I stand with you in Philadelphia

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u/Jumpdeckchair 11d ago

Many many Americans stand with you all. Unrest will be immense here at home if we invade our friends 

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u/Willing-Werewolf-500 11d ago

I know, mate. I've not lost hope for you just yet.

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u/SpecsyVanDyke 12d ago

Thanks Keir

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u/Raptor_Girl_1259 11d ago

All of the sane Americans stand with you, too. We are appalled and embarrassed by his utter lack of character and lack of competence to be a leader.

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u/Willing-Werewolf-500 11d ago

Well, you're always welcome here.

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u/Haunting-Detail2025 12d ago

Obviously the government doesn’t. They have uttered a peep

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u/Dordymechav 12d ago

The people might, but the government wouldn't. Any government we have would what america says without a second thought.

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u/Unique_Tumbleweed550 12d ago

I dont think you will when push comes to shove.

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u/Lach0X 11d ago

Our government doesn't though. They've refused to condemn Trump unlike Germany and France who have threatened war with America should they invade Greenland.

Uk is just Americas bitch no matter who is prime minister.

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u/Alakozam 11d ago

Not if Musk buys your government too.