Greenland faces widespread power outage in Nuuk, social media links it to Trump’s Arctic moves

Nuuk hit by major power outage, leaving residents in darkness. (Image credit: AFP)

• Nuuk blackout left 20,000 residents without power and internet for three hours
• Strong winds caused outage; partial power restored via emergency plant
• Outage occurred amid US pressure on Denmark regarding Greenland's strategic value

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Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, faced a major power outage, leaving around 20,000 residents in darkness and cutting internet access on Saturday. The blackout coincided with growing US President Donald Trump’s pressure on Denmark’s sovereign territory. The power was only restored partially after three hours

Why did Nuuk experience a blackout?

According to the state utility, the Nukissiorfiit outage was caused by strong winds that led to a transmission failure. The company said on Facebook that the supply was being restored using an emergency plant.

NetBlocks, an internet monitoring group, said Greenland saw a dramatic drop in connectivity, with Nuuk experiencing the highest impact.

Greenland outage comes with escalating US claims over the Arctic by President Trump. Mass protests have erupted in Greenland and Denmark to protect the US attempts to acquire the territory. Since 2024, Trump has repeatedly emphasised the island’s strategic importance, citing threats from China and Russia.

Earlier on Wednesday, Trump changed his stance on imposing tariffs targeting Greenland’s European allies, announcing a deal with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) framework ensuring the security of Denmark’s sovereign territory at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Trump confirmed that the tariffs set to take effect on February 1 would not be imposed. The Danish government criticised the move, saying NATO chief Mark Rutte did not have the authority to negotiate on their behalf, and Greenland maintained that decision about its future

Meanwhile, news of the power outage quickly circulated on social media, prompting widespread reactions.

One X user said, “Trump is really doing anything but invoking the Insurrection Act, huh?”

Another user wrote, “US  just trying to lower the property value before the next bid.

A third user jokingly said, “Must have been the penguin”

Another user commented, “Weird that the whole world is watching Netflix while this is happening