US President-elect Donald Trump’s repeated threats to buy Greenland from Denmark have left the world flabbergasted. While many dismissed these threats as just empty rumblings by Trump, such a move would not be without precedent, as the US bought Alaska from Russia in 1867. Nor would this be Washington’s first shot at buying Greenland, as in 1946, the US actually offered US$100 million for the territory, an offer promptly rejected by Denmark.
While not without precedent, buying Greenland would not be easy to follow through as the US will have to pass a host of legal and economic hurdles. Moreover, the move is fraught with diplomatic risks as the US can end up damaging its ties with allies and weakening the NATO alliance.
In his pre-inauguration press conference on January 8, Trump said the US needs Greenland for its ‘national security’ and to protect the ‘free world.’ He also refused to rule out the possibility of military or economic coercion in gaining control of the Panama Canal or Greenland.
“We need them for economic security,” he said.
This was followed by his son Donald Trump Junior’s visit to Greenland, where he was greeted by some locals who were wearing MAGA (Make America Great Again) hats.
Trump’s 2019 Offer To Buy Greenland
Contrary to popular belief, Trump has been advocating for buying Greenland for a long time now. He first proposed it during his first term as President in 2019. At that time, the offer was rejected by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
Trump is serious about buying Greenland and can go down the route of imposing economic sanctions on Denmark if it refuses to play ball with Washington. This could be gauged from Trump’s reaction when Denmark rejected his offer in August 2019.
Trump called Danish PM Frederiksen’s dismissal of his idea to buy Greenland “nasty” and an affront to the United States.
“I thought that the prime minister’s statement … was nasty. I thought it was an inappropriate statement. All she had to do is say: ‘No, we wouldn’t be interested,'” Trump told reporters at the White House. “She’s not talking to me. She’s talking to the United States of America. You don’t talk to the United States that way, at least under me.”
Trump even canceled a planned Copenhagen visit over the rebuff, shocking the Danish political establishment.
Now, in his second term, Trump seems determined to fulfill his long-held dream of making Greenland the 51st state of the United States of America.
Geographically North America, How Greenland Became Danish Territory?
Located between the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans, Greenland is the world’s largest island. Although Australia is much larger than Greenland, it isn’t considered an island because it’s a continent.
Geographically, Greenland is part of North America. Its capital, Nuuk, is closer to New York (some 2,900 kilometers or 1,800 miles) than Copenhagen, which is located 3,500 kilometers (2,174 miles) to the east.
Yet, Greenland is part of Danish territory. Greenland is one of the three territories that form the Danish Kingdom, alongside Denmark itself and the Faroe Islands.
The earliest Scandinavian presence on Greenland was the Vikings, who started landing on this island around 980 CE. According to the medieval Icelandic sagas, Erik the Red landed there at the head of a large fleet (after being exiled from Iceland for murder). However, the Viking settlements lasted till the early 15th century, by which time the Vikings had either died or sailed away.
The Danes colonized the giant Arctic island again in the 18th century, beginning with the arrival of Danish-Norwegian priest Hans Egede in 1721. Egede established the first Danish colony in Greenland at Godthåb, which was later renamed to Nuuk. The colony was controlled from Copenhagen and grew to other parts of Greenland in subsequent decades.
In 1921, the United States confirmed Denmark’s sovereignty over most of Greenland in return for Copenhagen agreeing to sell the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean to the US for US$25 million.
In 1953, Greenland’s legal status was changed from a Danish colony to a Danish county, roughly equivalent to a “province.” Denmark also gave Greenlanders Danish citizenship and Danish passports.
Greenland became a self-governing territory in 1979, marking the first time it had its own parliament. Since 2009, Greenland has had broad autonomy and the right to declare independence through a referendum. However, Denmark still manages foreign, defense, and security policies.
US Historical Interest in Greenland
While the US itself recognized Danish sovereignty over Greenland in 1921, very soon, it was having second thoughts. The US occupied Greenland in 1941 following Nazi Germany’s invasion of Denmark during World War II. The US forces have since maintained a permanent presence at Pituffik Space Base in northwest Greenland.
In the aftermath of the Second World War, when the Soviet Union emerged as the US’s main competitor, Greenland became a central chess piece in Cold War geopolitics.
Its location in the Arctic ensured the US’s renewed interest in Greenland. In 1946, US President Harry S Truman proposed buying the island for US$ 100 million, an offer Denmark rejected.
However, in 1951, the United States gained access to Greenland through a defense agreement with Denmark under the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO).
The 1951 Greenland Defense Agreement gave the US the right to maintain military bases in Greenland, establish new bases or defense areas if NATO deemed it necessary, and move forces freely between defense areas, as long as Denmark and Greenland were notified.
Why Does Trump Want Greenland?
With his second term due to begin shortly, Trump’s renewed interest in Greenland is attributed to multiple factors:
Security Factors: Trump has repeatedly said the US needs Greenland for its ‘national security’ and to protect the’ free world.’
On December 23, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, “For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”
Northern Trade Route: With Arctic ice sheets melting due to global warming, a new, much shorter northern shipping route through the Arctic can soon connect Europe with North America. If such a northern trade route materializes, Greenland will have a central location on it.
This trade route will also cut US dependence on the Panama Canal for trade.
“From the perspective of the Arctic, Greenland is our eyes on everything that’s going on, including on the Northern Sea Route, which is controlled by Russia,” Amanda Lynch, professor of earth sciences at Brown University, told NPR.
Natural Resources: Greenland is rich in many natural resources, such as hydrocarbons and rare earth materials. It is also a gold mine for mineral deposits such as copper, lithium, and cobalt, which are essential for developing batteries and electric vehicles.
“Greenland has many resources — not just hydrocarbons but also rare earth minerals and uranium. And when we’re thinking about the green energy transition, access to rare earth minerals in particular is important for any nation,” Lynch said.
US History Of Buying Territories
While the idea of a country buying territories may sound absurd, the US has had a long history of expanding its borders by buying territories. In fact, the US has been expanding its borders by buying territories for more than 200 years.
Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri And Iowa From France (1803)
In 1803, the US bought 530,000,000 acres of territory in North America from France under the Louisiana Purchase agreement for US$ 15 million. Apart from Louisiana, the deal included parts of more than a dozen modern-day states, including all of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Iowa.
Florida From Spain (1819)
The United States acquired Florida from Spain in 1819 under the Adams-Onís Treaty (1819) and the Transcontinental Treaty (1821).
California, Nevada, Utah And Arizona From Mexico (1848)
In 1848, Mexico ceded 529,000 square miles of land—consisting of modern-day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and parts of Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming to the US under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo for US$ 15 million.
Alaska From Russia (1867)
In 1867, the US bought Alaska, its northernmost territory, from the Russian Empire for US$ 7.2 million. As per the deal, the US paid a mere 2 cents an acre for the Alaska territory.
Virgin Islands From Denmark (1917)
In 1917, the US bought the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean from Denmark for US$25 million.
Legal Hurdles
While US history is replete with instances of new territories being added to the US after purchasing them from other countries, the process would be much more difficult now.
Experts suggest that for Greenland to become a US territory, it would need explicit approval from both Denmark and Greenland. At the moment, both Danish and Greenland Prime Ministers have made it clear that “Greenland is not for sale.”
Under the 2009 agreement between Greenland and Denmark, Greenland can get independence through a referendum. There is currently a strong independence movement in Denmark.
If this movement gains steam and Greenland becomes independent, Denmark is out of the equation, and the US can deal directly with Greenland. In such a scenario, Greenland could choose to associate itself with the United States after passing a referendum.
In his January 3 speech, Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede made a case for independence.
“It is about time that we ourselves take a step and shape our future, also with regard to who we will cooperate closely with and who our trading partners will be,” he said.
However, experts believe that once independent, Greenlanders would prefer to remain independent rather than simply change their colonial masters from Denmark to the US.
Even if Greenlanders did accept to become part of the US, for Greenland to become a US territory, two-thirds of US Congress members must also ratify the treaty.
It is clear that while not without precedent, it will not be easy for Donald Trump to buy Greenland and make it the 51st state of the United States of America.
- Sumit Ahlawat has over a decade of experience in news media. He has worked with Press Trust of India, Times Now, Zee News, Economic Times, and Microsoft News. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Media and Modern History from The University of Sheffield, UK. He is interested in studying Geopolitics from a historical perspective.
- He can be reached at ahlawat.sumit85 (at) gmail.com
