In the freezing darkness of Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, the mood is tense.

Speaking on The Anton Savage Show, reporter Josh Crosbie described a population worn down by uncertainty and alarmed by the rhetoric from former US president Donald Trump.

"The best way to describe the mood I’m receiving from the locals is that they’re just fed up,”  said Crosby.

He added that people are “sick of the uncertainty around all this” and “they’re also worried, they’re scared and they just want this basically to all go away.”

Greenland has a population of just 57,000, roughly the size of Waterford city, and in Nuuk alone, where Crosbie was reporting from, around 20,000 people are dealing with the fallout from comments about a possible US takeover.

The residents respond

One resident told Crosbie:

“It’s my country. I love my country.”

When asked how Trump’s remarks made them feel, they replied:

“I don’t like it. It's not good for us.”

While independence remains a long-term aspiration, the same resident stressed caution:

“I think I'd like to have independence someday, of course, that's my dream, but I don't think it will be, not in my time.”

Another local described this time as deeply worrying:

“Of course, it’s very scary."

A split of Trump and Greenland. Pictures by: Alamy.com.

"He’s an idiot. There’s no reality behind it, it's clear nonsense," she added.

Crosbie said uncertainty is beginning to affect confidence, particularly for larger investment projects.

The future of Greenland's economy

Christian Kelsden, CEO of the Greenland Business Association, said frustration is widespread.

“I think the word irritation and being very annoyed would be the right terms to put to this,” he said.

“Uncertainty is poison for any investment environment,” Kelsden warned, explaining that investors need clarity.

While Greenland’s economy remains dominated by fishing, “that accounts for 97% of our exports” he said, stability was essential.

“We need stability. We need to come back to the diplomatic corridors where these things should be handled," Kelsden added.

Former Greenlandic MP Dins Mikkelsen told Crosbie that wealth and power should not dictate the island’s future.

“Money cannot buy everything,” he said.

“People are more powerful than money.”

His message to Washington was to “stay away.”

At the old harbour, where fishing vessels underline just how dependent Greenland is on the sea, Danish fisherman Jelge Johansen discussed the fears about what US control could mean.

“If you look at how they treat local people in Alaska, and if you transfer that to here, it will be really bad,” he said.

Only “1% maybe” of people, he added, support the idea of US involvement.

Crosbie reported that Greenland’s political leaders have issued a joint statement rejecting the idea of becoming American or Danish.

“They don’t want to be Americans, they don’t want to be Danish, they want to be Greenlanders,” he said , a view repeatedly expressed on the streets of Nuuk.

Crosbie remains in Greenland to continue reporting, with the message from locals to be left to decide their own future.