US seeks unpaid local interns at Greenland consulate as annexation threats loom

The US Consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, is looking for unpaid interns to service its communication channels, leaving local authorities to foot the bill of financially supporting applicants while the US steps up annexation threats.

Last week, US President Donald Trump appointed a special envoy to Greenland – a semi-autonomous territory under the Danish Realm – sparking backlash from Greenlandic, Danish and European authorities.

Initially expressing interest in acquiring the island during his first term in 2019, Trump has ramped up discourse and efforts during his second term, going so far as to suggest the US would use military force to annex the Inuit nation.

“We have to have it,” Trump said last week, citing national security concerns.

Now, a job opening, posted on various job sites as well as the website of the US Embassy in Denmark, is looking for local talent to provide content for the consulate’s online channels “to communicate U.S. foreign policy priorities to a Greenlandic audience,” the listing writes.

Candidates should be enrolled on a bachelor’s or graduate-level program and have a full grasp of English as well as “working-level Danish and Greenlandic”. The position would require around 40 working hours a week for four to six months, from February 2026 onwards.

The job listing specifies that “The internship is unpaid, but students eligible to receive SU [Danish government support for students] during their studies will continue to do so.”

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Unpaid internships are not uncommon in the Danish vocational and academic education system, with some universities even requiring internships to be unpaid to ensure learning outcomes is the main focus and that internships do not compete with regular paid jobs.

In Denmark, tuition is mostly free and students can receive financial support of around €900 a month from the Danish government while studying.

The US Consulate in Greenland reopened in June 2020 during Trump’s first term. In 2025, shortly after Trump was re-appointed president, the consulate moved to larger, 3,000 square meter offices in central Nuuk, equipped with armoured glass.

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