- 1 week ago
US President Trump wants Greenland – but do Greenlanders want to join the US?
Poland is offering discounted rent to people willing to renovate apartments in need of repairs.
Poland is offering discounted rent to people willing to renovate apartments in need of repairs.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00This is Focus on Europe. I'm Laura Babalola. Welcome to the show.
00:20When U.S. President Donald Trump first stated his desire to buy Greenland back in 2019,
00:26many scoffed at the idea. Fast forward to his second term and Trump has proven that he means
00:33business. The territory, he says, is vital for America's national and economic security.
00:40Greenland is the world's largest island and has vast natural resources. These include rare earth
00:47minerals, a component that's crucial for electronic and automotive manufacturing. While some Greenlanders
00:54are enthusiastic about Trump, Hastrina Holm is not. She says he doesn't understand their
01:00way of life and has a stark message for the president.
01:05Greenland, a majestic country right at the center of the geopolitical chessboard.
01:11I think we're going to get it. One way or the other, we're going to get it.
01:14Allegations of U.S. infiltration have split opinions amongst the 57,000 people living here.
01:21Whether they're Greenland's number one MAGA couple and love President Trump...
01:27I think he's great.
01:29...or they'd send the U.S. president packing on arrival.
01:32Give him a slap on face.
01:36So what's behind these accusations of U.S. infiltration into Greenland?
01:42Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, but it holds a special status as a self-governing,
01:48autonomous country with its own government and parliament.
01:51Its location in the far north with access to the Arctic and a wealth of untapped mineral
01:58resources that's drawn major international attention to this quiet country.
02:03And I also have a message tonight for the incredible people of Greenland.
02:10We strongly support your right to determine your own future.
02:14And if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America.
02:18We need Greenland for national security and even international security.
02:23And we're working with everybody involved to try and get it.
02:27But we need it really for international world security.
02:30And I think we're going to get it one way or the other, we're going to get it.
02:35Danish media have been reporting that three private U.S. individuals with links to President
02:40Trump have been here to create lists of Greenlanders who are in favor of becoming part of the U.S.
02:46U.S. President Donald Trump says he must fend off Russian and Chinese competition here.
02:51And Vice President J.D. Vance visited Greenland saying the U.S. is the only nation that will
02:57respect Greenland's sovereignty and respect their security.
03:03Greenland's MAGA couple, Jena Padilla and Franz Olsvig, welcome the U.S. interest here.
03:11Me and my half-brother.
03:13Franz shows us a photo of him proudly sporting the red MAGA hat in 2025.
03:18He says he's always believed in Trump's style of politics, especially on the international stage.
03:24He's great. He's a great negotiator.
03:30But they say neither of them has ever been approached by any of the three men accused
03:35by Danish media of infiltration.
03:38The rumor that the three guys are walking around trying to influence will scare people
03:44off that the Americans are doing bad or bad to make them look bad, because I don't see or hear
03:56or talk to these Americans. So for me, it doesn't make sense.
04:00Jena and Franz also join the two-thirds majority of Greenlanders who want complete independence
04:07from Denmark, Greenland's former colonial ruler, which still controls much of the life here.
04:15The Danish government gives Greenland just under a billion dollars per year in financial support.
04:21Greenlanders are still citizens of Denmark and still use Danish passports.
04:26Trump asking about buying our country is a lot nicer thing to do than what the Danish did.
04:35They stole our country without asking us.
04:38So to me, already there, he shows a lot of more respect than the Danish have ever shown us.
04:44The Danish prime minister has called the allegations of the private U.S. citizens stirring up
04:49secessionist sentiments. Unacceptable.
04:53Pelle Broborg is the leader of the pro-independence opposition party in the Greenlandic parliament.
04:58He says the Danish media reporting doesn't match the reality here.
05:03The people they're talking about, they gave interviews here on national television about why they're here.
05:10You cannot do covert infiltration in Greenland. Everybody knows everybody.
05:15He believes the stories in the Danish press are malicious to scare Greenlanders off from their progress towards independence.
05:26Hastrina Holm and her sister Helena have met up at the now empty family home they grew up in.
05:32They've come to clear the garden in preparation for the arrival of the winter snow.
05:37But what would she do if Donald Trump came and knocked on her door?
05:41I want to give him coffee and give him a slap on face and let him go home, tell him go home.
05:54Back in her part of town on the other side of Nuuk, Hastrina tells us she's not sure that Trump or Americans in general
06:02understand the mentality of the native Inuit people who make up 89% of Greenland's population.
06:09The connection between Greenland people is really close, you know.
06:15We understand good and then we can live together close.
06:21Hastrina says outside international political forces have raised tensions between Greenlanders,
06:27but that people are entitled to like Trump even if she doesn't.
06:31I think it's up to them.
06:33I think what I think and he think what he think.
06:39Maybe he think he's a great guy, but his mind, Trump mind, in my mind, I think he's not doing well.
06:54Many Greenlanders say they're now growing tired of the US interest.
06:58No, we don't want to be owned by the USA.
07:02We're not, we can't get barred.
07:04We are people.
07:05If United States attacks or invades, then NATO will be here.
07:10I'm sure of that.
07:12So I'm not afraid of that.
07:14But the US is the central member of the NATO military alliance.
07:18And for Franz, there's one main reason he supports Trump.
07:22American security is more naturally for Greenland because of Americans protect us in World War II.
07:34They know how to protect us.
07:36However the different Greenlandic people might be feeling about the politics,
07:40the cold winter is descending.
07:42But there's little chance of a freeze in international attention.
07:46It's known as the gateway to the Arctic.
07:51The city of Tromsø in Norway is a hub for polar exploration and for NATO military operations.
07:58The strategic base there helps the alliance protect its northern flank from threats.
08:03This includes Russia's so-called shadow fleet, decaying vessels the Kremlin uses to evade oil sanctions.
08:10Well, the fleet is also suspected of conducting espionage and sabotage against NATO states.
08:17The vessels are severing seabed cables that supply electricity and gas.
08:22Detecting them before the damage is done underwater is tricky.
08:26But now a NATO research team is using a new method to sound the alarm on hybrid warfare.
08:34This doesn't look like a battleship.
08:37And acoustics expert Gautier Real and his colleagues aboard the NRV Alliance don't look or sound like typical soldiers.
08:45I've always been focused on going on the field, collect data.
08:50And so it's a thrill every time and discovering new ambient noise, new ambient sounds.
08:58But the field this Italian acoustician researches, how sound travels deep underwater, is increasingly part of the battlefield.
09:07In the Baltic Sea, for example, what they've learned there can help combat Russia's hybrid war against NATO countries.
09:14We're trying to react with new ways, with what we know, our knowledge on fundamental science and how sound propagates, both in the water, on the seafloor, and how to adapt our behavior to this new kind of malevolent action.
09:30The new kind of malevolent action Real mentions is the growing number of oil tankers with ties to Moscow, which have been dropping their anchors and dragging them across critical undersea cables and pipelines connecting NATO countries.
09:44These scientists from NATO's Center for Maritime Research and Experimentation, or CMRE, based in La Spezia, Italy, have now established an early warning system, so they can hear the anchors drop before they drag.
09:57It's the core of asymmetrical warfare. It's extremely low-tech, even some embarrassingly low-tech, but can do a lot of damage, and so you have to think how to adapt to this kind of new threats.
10:11The strategy is that if an anchor lands on the seabed, sensors installed there will relay an alert to command centers on land, which can then dispatch NATO ships or helicopters to intercept a suspicious vessel before it can get away.
10:25That's a time advantage that hasn't existed before, as NATO grapples with how to deal with this emerging threat in the waters of its latest members, Finland and Sweden.
10:35The problem space is quite new to us, the acts of sabotage, and it helps us to understand the way we could put into use the technology that we have already developed.
10:51So it's an act of innovation, if you wish, trying to modify and add algorithms that help dealing with this problem space in a better way.
11:01That's how fast the sun travels in the water column.
11:04So what does an anchor sound like when it hits the ocean floor?
11:08We asked the CMRE scientists to share their new discovery with DW, but we were told that has to stay secret.
11:16We cannot give you the sound that we recorded of the anchor because it also includes the sound of our own vessel,
11:22which means that our signature would be given away and others would be able to track us.
11:25That's particularly important because one of the NRV Alliance's other tasks is to detect foreign submarines trying to sneak into NATO waters.
11:35Again, Gautier-Réal points out, acousticians are on the front line.
11:40Submarines are a difficult object to detect and are usually quieter than the noise itself that you measure underwater.
11:45The environment is a big piece of the puzzle.
11:47And so if you master that, if you understand how sound propagates from you to a target and vice versa, then you did a good job at trying to detect something.
11:55However, CMRE decided over the summer not to keep the floating laboratory itself quite so undercover.
12:03After 37 years of existence, NRV Alliance finally has NATO painted on its side.
12:10CMRE said it hoped the new branding would help keep adversaries at bay as the ship headed back to its home waters in the Mediterranean.
12:21Would you pay tens of thousands to renovate a home that doesn't belong to you?
12:26In Poland, there's a long list of people signing up to do just that.
12:31It's part of an initiative launched by authorities to address a severe housing shortage.
12:35The crisis is acute in cities like Kielsa and Krakow.
12:40Estimates say up to 2 million housing units are missing in Poland.
12:45For Ula Wronska and her family, the scheme was well worth the investment.
12:49But demand for the program is already outpacing supply, leaving many out of luck.
12:55I'm Alexandra Skura and I need a new apartment.
13:01Poland has a program to combat its housing shortage.
13:04Cheap rent in return for renovation.
13:07It must have been nice here once.
13:09Years or, more likely, decades ago.
13:12But no matter.
13:13Alexandra is thrilled.
13:15She wants to rent this neglected apartment in the city of Kielsa at half price and renovate it herself.
13:21Walls, floors, gas, water, electricity.
13:25Almost everything needs work.
13:26But the 30-year-old pastry chef is optimistic.
13:29This place is frozen in time, and I want to breathe new life into it.
13:36Ewelina Jostrebska from the city government accompanies Alexandra as she takes stock.
13:40She had no trouble finding a tenant.
13:43There are many more brave applicants than there are vacant departments.
13:46I believe that every tenant who takes on this challenge and participates in the program will succeed.
13:57I want to do most of it myself.
14:00But there is installation work that I don't want to tackle.
14:04I'll leave that to the experts.
14:06Alexandra wants to invest, even though it's a rental.
14:12These are rare here.
14:13Almost 90% of Poles own their homes.
14:20Krakow is Poland's second largest city.
14:23I'm Ula Wronska.
14:28Happy we got this apartment near the kids' school.
14:33They have five children.
14:36The youngest isn't in school yet.
14:38Construction in the apartment finished only recently.
14:41Officials also look at family size when selecting tenants.
14:45The more children you have, the better your chances of turning a ruin into a home.
14:49We still smile when we think that our kids helped us get this apartment.
14:58As in many Polish cities, apartment prices in Krakow have skyrocketed by around 30% in 2024.
15:05Most young people can hardly afford them.
15:11Rental prices are ridiculously high.
15:13And the apartments aren't worth it.
15:15If I had to find one, I'd be out of luck.
15:21A new round of allocations is beginning today.
15:24And applicants are lining up for an apartment in need of renovation.
15:27The program has been running for four years.
15:30And it's still like a lottery.
15:32I have two small children.
15:34And this is my last chance to change my living situation.
15:37Wealthy people buy 50 apartments and drive up the prices.
15:43So there's no hope for us to buy one.
15:51This year, a total of 180 apartments are being offered in Krakow.
15:57This one, for example, has to be completely gutted.
16:00Everything needs to be replaced.
16:02Edita Pavluczek in Kielce shows us what it's like to renovate a rental apartment yourself.
16:11My name is Edita, and I've waited for this apartment for 27 years.
16:16Given that, living with dust and cement for a few more months is no big deal.
16:20Did she know that the project would be so much work?
16:22No, but at some point it did dawn on me.
16:27The program is called Renovate to Rent, after all.
16:31She's invested around 70,000 euros in an apartment that she doesn't own,
16:35and pays rent for on top of that.
16:37Although much less than market value.
16:40The mayor calls it a win-win for the city and its residents.
16:43They live in them, and of course they pay low rent.
16:49So these apartments serve both a financial and a social function for the city.
16:54The mayor's dispassionate analysis is one thing.
16:58But in this building, Anna Pajak has a very emotional relationship with the housing program.
17:04My name is Anna Pajak, and this is my dream home.
17:07She's proud that she designed everything herself.
17:13She lives in her model apartment with her son, spider, and dog.
17:18But the journey to her dream home began with a nightmare.
17:21The house had long been vacant, and almost nothing could be salvaged.
17:28When I got the keys to the apartment,
17:30I went to church and prayed that I would have the strength to do all this.
17:37With or without divine help, the Polish model could set an example
17:41for many places where housing has become a luxury.
17:49The very sight of puppies can spark joy.
17:53They offer companionship, unconditional love,
17:55and boost the hormones that make us humans happy.
17:58It's no wonder that dogs are such popular house pets.
18:02But buyer, beware.
18:03Behind the pictures of adorable puppies for sale lies a dark and cruel reality.
18:09Criminals are earning billions of euros a year in the illegal pet trade.
18:13They breed animals in appalling conditions and smuggle them into the EU.
18:18New pet owners often realize too late that their puppy is sick
18:21or traumatized from its previous environment.
18:24But lawmakers are fighting back.
18:26They've approved a draft law aimed at protecting animal welfare
18:30across the European Union.
18:33A routine check-up at the vet.
18:36Bella endures the probing with quiet patience.
18:39This time, everything is fine.
18:42The miniature Maltese is healthy.
18:44But her first examination a few years ago was a different story.
18:49She was in relatively poor condition, very thin, and had parasites.
18:56Bella was likely brought to Germany from Russia as a puppy.
18:59But it's hard to be sure.
19:01In theory, strict rules govern entry into the country.
19:05But dogs like Bella, whose origins are a total mystery,
19:08turn up time and time again.
19:10This vaccination certificate doesn't show a rabies vaccination.
19:15That means she shouldn't have been allowed in the country in the first place.
19:18And based on the vaccinations, it's unclear whether these papers even belong to this dog at all.
19:24They might be random ones pawned off on the owner.
19:32Sick animals with fake papers are typical in the illegal puppy trade.
19:36Only a fraction of cases are uncovered, like here at the German-Polish border,
19:41where animals are being sold out of a car trunk.
19:44The illegal puppy trade has become a billion-euro business, causing immense animal suffering.
19:54That needs to end.
19:58Manuela Ripa is a green conservative MEP instrumental in drafting new regulations.
20:03Increasing transparency in the purchasing process is a top priority.
20:07Another problem is that 60% of all puppies, unfortunately, are bought online.
20:13There are a lot of loopholes there that we want to close.
20:18Purebred dogs are especially popular.
20:21But reputable breeders can barely meet demand.
20:26Jana Hoger from the PETA Animal Protection Organization
20:29has exposed many illegal online puppy traders.
20:33So here's a small puppy.
20:35Only three pictures.
20:37The sweetest Maltipoo puppy, three months old, female.
20:41That's an age when dogs are handed over.
20:44This raises the question, is it a resale, as it's made to appear?
20:49Or has someone transported the dog from abroad, somewhere, to make a quick buck?
20:56That's where the EU comes in.
20:58Anyone buying a dog should know where it came from.
21:01Peter Liese, a Christian Democrat, is among those championing relevant legislation.
21:06We have to stop the dog mafia.
21:09The central element is that every dog must be chipped and registered.
21:16These are very small chips, the size of a grain of rice.
21:21They allow the dog to be identified and linked to a register.
21:24The system should be compatible across Europe, so you know where the dog comes from and can trace it.
21:33If you then see a dog that's not chipped, it's a warning sign.
21:37Something likely isn't right.
21:38But it's not just an online issue.
21:44Buying dogs in pet stores can also be problematic.
21:47PETA has proven connections between several dog sellers in Belgium and dubious breeding farms.
21:53Our investigations have shown that these puppies come from awful facilities in Eastern Europe,
21:59where dogs are sometimes isolated, in compartments row after row.
22:05Some very young puppies have been given medications.
22:08It's all very questionable.
22:10I don't think anyone looking around in pet shops expects that the animals are produced and sold under such conditions.
22:17The calls to action have reached Brussels.
22:24Officials there are planning higher requirements for breeders
22:27and a ban on the sale of cats and dogs in pet stores.
22:32The pet store's lobby group warns that this will only open the door to more illegal trade.
22:37Even though there are still obstacles to overcome and details to clarify,
22:41Manuela Ripa is optimistic.
22:43For me, implementing the position taken by Parliament would be a very big step for animal welfare in Europe.
22:54The European Parliament, Member States and the Commission must still hammer out a deal.
22:59But after years of unchecked cruelty, illegal puppy traders are officially on notice.
23:08Now here's something for hikers that love being rewarded for their efforts.
23:12The Old Forge is a traditional pub in Scotland that offers guests a cosy place to warm their toes by the fire with a pint.
23:20And your feet will no doubt need the rest.
23:23Getting to the pub is no easy task.
23:27It's going to be a Nairnau hike, just for a pint.
23:31Lizzie Buchanan guides tourists through the highlands to Scotland's most remote pub.
23:35Along the way, they encounter curious highland cattle,
23:38waterfalls that you can drink from, and magnificent locks.
23:41Loch Horn, which is Loch of Hell.
23:45And we're making our way overland through the mountains to Loch Nevis, which is Loch of Heaven.
23:51So we're moving in the right direction.
23:52We're moving away from the hellish loch towards heaven.
23:56The trail leads past huge rhododendron bushes, pine trees and ferns.
24:00These plants love the damp climates, which fosters a unique ecosystem, a temperate rainforest.
24:08They plan to make a sort of a bridge of forest linking with this coast to the other coast.
24:13So the vision is to reforest the area and build up that temperate rainforest, which is native to here.
24:18The Cape Wrath Trail, a journey across mostly private premises, is one of the most spectacular routes in the UK.
24:28We can camp up to two nights in one spot so long as we left no trace,
24:31and so long as it's not within sight of a road or a private house.
24:34And likewise, we can go walking and create our own journey through the mountains.
24:39After 24 kilometres, we finally reach Scotland's most remote pub, here in Inverree, home to 130 people.
24:48The locals work in construction, forestry or tourism.
24:51The pub is a centre of community.
24:53Danny Gorman has come to relax after a tiring day.
24:56I came here for three weeks in 2007, tree planting, and I'm still here.
25:04Back then, Ian and Jackie Robertson were running the pub.
25:07They reminisce about the wild times.
25:09We didn't have television and we didn't have internet or a mobile phone.
25:14They would make up their own entertainment.
25:15We've had fire eaters and belly dancers and limbo dancers.
25:19You would walk in the pub any night of the week and there'd be something happening.
25:22Ever since Ian and Jackie retired, the locals have been running the pub as a collective.
25:28For those who'd rather not walk here, there's this boat, the daily lifeline to the outside world.
25:34And surely the more comfortable way to reach Scotland's most secluded pub.
25:41I'll raise a glass to taking the shortcut.
25:44Well, that's all from us this week at Focus on Europe.
25:46Thanks so much for your company.
25:48Bye for now.
25:52Bye for now.
Be the first to comment