WASHINGTON- If President-elect Donald Trump's claim that the United States should be in control of Greenland sounds familiar, it's because he's said it before: during his first term as president.
In 2019, Trump's call sparked a brief diplomatic dispute with Denmark, under whose sovereignty the vast island lies. Then, as now, the suggestion was met with derision in some quarters, but it highlighted serious questions about the strategic importance of the frozen territory in an era of accelerating climate change.
Trump's comment also pointed to a dilemma facing America's allies, one that will become more pressing in a few weeks as the Oval Office changes hands: whether smaller, less powerful states should greet Washington's surprising statements with silence, conciliation and throat clearing. obfuscation or clearly expressed opposition, especially since the topic at hand could simply disappear anyway.
Sometimes Trump ultimately defuses those setbacks by saying he was just joking. At other times, he hints that those who defy him could face consequences later. Denmark is a member of the European Union, which is already bracing for a potentially tense relationship with the incoming president.
Here's some background on Greenland, why the president-elect is raising the issue again, and what could happen next.
What is this place?
Greenland is a self-governing Danish territory the size of Alaska off North America, between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. It is the largest island in the world that is not a continent, approximately two-thirds of it lies within the Arctic Circle. It is largely covered in ice and sparsely populated: fewer than 60,000 people live there. With the exception of foreigners, those who live there are full citizens of Denmark.
How did this idea come about?
The president-elect's unexpected comment came Sunday as he announced his selection of PayPal co-founder Ken Howery as the U.S. envoy to Copenhagen. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that “the United States feels that ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” citing “national security and freedom purposes around the world.”
How did the Greenland government respond?
Something clearly. On Monday, its elected leader, Prime Minister Mute Egede, said in a statement that Greenland “is not for sale and will never be for sale.” But the prime minister also said Greenland “must remain open to cooperation and trade with everyone, especially our neighbors.”
How did Trump's 2019 idea develop?
When Trump made his initial real estate proposal, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen dismissed Trump's offer as “absurd.” The then-president called that response “disgusting” and canceled a planned state visit to Denmark.
Still, the idea of such a purchase was unprecedented. The United States had made several similar raids, dating back to the 1860s, all of them short-lived.
This time, any headache for Denmark could be longer-lasting. Trump was already 19 months into his first term when he raised the purchase idea. With four weeks to go until he is sworn in, there will be four full years for the issue to simmer.
Is territorial expansion an issue for Trump's second presidency?
In this post-election and pre-inauguration phase, Trump has already caused a sensation by reflecting on the status of Canada, suggesting, in an apparent jab at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, that the United States' sovereign neighbor to the north could become the state number 51. Also over the weekend, he hinted that Washington could take steps to take control of the Panama Canal, ceded to Panama a quarter-century ago for what Trump called excessive fees to transit the vital waterway.
There has been no indication that the president-elect intends to follow through on any of these territorial proposals, or what the mechanism for doing so would be.
Why is Greenland strategically important?
The island is home to a large US military base. The melting of the Greenland ice sheet, documented for years and known to be accelerating, could lead to the opening of previously blocked international sea passages, spurring competition between great powers in the Arctic. In addition, Greenland has immense mineral wealth (gold, silver, copper and uranium) whose potential extraction would be complicated by harsh climatic conditions and lack of road access, as well as environmental concerns.
