Trump Continues Discussing Greenland Purchase. Here's the Latest on That Topic.
Our reporter provides an in-depth analysis of the current situation in the Arctic.
TroibNews 
Among the various priorities set by Donald Trump since regaining power, his focus on Greenland stands out as particularly perplexing.
The president's claim that the U.S. should "own and control" the world's largest island has generated unease among its residents and led some allies to envision it as a potential 51st state. This has also prompted numerous questions regarding the reasons behind and the feasibility of a potential U.S.-Greenland partnership.
PMG Magazine recently visited Greenland's capital, Nuuk, in search of clarity on this matter.
1. Can Donald Trump actually buy Greenland? The simple answer is no. The era when large territories could be purchased outright from European powers is long gone. The purchase of Alaska from Russia in the mid-19th century does not align with current international legal norms and standards.
There is also no clear legal avenue for such a transaction. The inhabitants of Greenland have significant rights to self-determination, which complicates the idea of an outright sale. However, this doesn’t mean that Trump is without options regarding Greenland.
2. So, what can he actually do? One possible route gaining traction among Trump-aligned foreign policy experts is a compact of free association. This type of arrangement is similar to those already established by the U.S. with some smaller island nations in the Pacific. While it doesn’t create a full union or statehood for Greenland, it offers special privileges for both the U.S. and the associated nation.
The situation is complicated by the fact that Greenland is currently an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, which bestows upon it many rights of self-determination, although its foreign policy is controlled by Denmark.
For a free association agreement to be feasible, several steps would need to take place. First, there is a structured process for Greenland's potential independence from Denmark that includes a referendum in Greenland supporting such a move. There is not universal consensus on how this process would unfold. Upon gaining full independence, Greenland would then need to decide whether to enter into a free association agreement or another unique arrangement with the United States.
3. Why Greenland? What’s in it for the United States? The island is vast and positioned relatively close to the U.S.; in fact, it lies just 13 miles from Canada at its nearest point. It holds strategic significance in the Arctic, especially given the melting ice and increased activities from Russia and China in the region. Consequently, the U.S. has a military and strategic interest in bolstering its presence in the Arctic. Moreover, the island hosts an important American air base in the north and valuable deposits of rare earth minerals in the south. As economic blocs form amid a de-globalizing world, having access to rare earth minerals close to home, and not reliant on China, could be advantageous.
While President Trump hasn’t explicitly detailed these strategic objectives, some of his administration members have alluded to them.
4. What’s in it for Greenland? For Greenland, a powerful neighbor like the United States offers both economic and military clout. The U.S. currently provides security guarantees to Greenland, and a more robust military alliance could strengthen these assurances while enhancing trade links with the world's largest economy. Another potential upside would be the ability for Greenlanders to live and work in the U.S.
However, during a recent visit to Greenland in December, I discovered that there wasn't a strong desire for a significant deal with the U.S. One local researcher shared a recent survey indicating that while many Greenlanders favor closer relationships with the U.S., an even larger proportion expressed interest in strengthening ties with countries like Iceland and Canada.
Consequently, if President Trump is banking on a popular movement in Greenland to facilitate this deal, he has substantial work to do.
5. Is a deal actually going to happen? Likely not.
The prospect of an outright purchase or a free association agreement remains distant. Nonetheless, Donald Trump does appear to have garnered the attention of both Greenland's and Denmark's governments, suggesting that various potential measures for enhanced military or economic integration could be considered. It's still possible that a deal could emerge that focuses on increased trade or improved strategic bases in Greenland for the United States.
Anna Muller for TROIB News
The president's claim that the U.S. should "own and control" the world's largest island has generated unease among its residents and led some allies to envision it as a potential 51st state. This has also prompted numerous questions regarding the reasons behind and the feasibility of a potential U.S.-Greenland partnership.
PMG Magazine recently visited Greenland's capital, Nuuk, in search of clarity on this matter.
1. Can Donald Trump actually buy Greenland? The simple answer is no. The era when large territories could be purchased outright from European powers is long gone. The purchase of Alaska from Russia in the mid-19th century does not align with current international legal norms and standards.
There is also no clear legal avenue for such a transaction. The inhabitants of Greenland have significant rights to self-determination, which complicates the idea of an outright sale. However, this doesn’t mean that Trump is without options regarding Greenland.
2. So, what can he actually do? One possible route gaining traction among Trump-aligned foreign policy experts is a compact of free association. This type of arrangement is similar to those already established by the U.S. with some smaller island nations in the Pacific. While it doesn’t create a full union or statehood for Greenland, it offers special privileges for both the U.S. and the associated nation.
The situation is complicated by the fact that Greenland is currently an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, which bestows upon it many rights of self-determination, although its foreign policy is controlled by Denmark.
For a free association agreement to be feasible, several steps would need to take place. First, there is a structured process for Greenland's potential independence from Denmark that includes a referendum in Greenland supporting such a move. There is not universal consensus on how this process would unfold. Upon gaining full independence, Greenland would then need to decide whether to enter into a free association agreement or another unique arrangement with the United States.
3. Why Greenland? What’s in it for the United States? The island is vast and positioned relatively close to the U.S.; in fact, it lies just 13 miles from Canada at its nearest point. It holds strategic significance in the Arctic, especially given the melting ice and increased activities from Russia and China in the region. Consequently, the U.S. has a military and strategic interest in bolstering its presence in the Arctic. Moreover, the island hosts an important American air base in the north and valuable deposits of rare earth minerals in the south. As economic blocs form amid a de-globalizing world, having access to rare earth minerals close to home, and not reliant on China, could be advantageous.
While President Trump hasn’t explicitly detailed these strategic objectives, some of his administration members have alluded to them.
4. What’s in it for Greenland? For Greenland, a powerful neighbor like the United States offers both economic and military clout. The U.S. currently provides security guarantees to Greenland, and a more robust military alliance could strengthen these assurances while enhancing trade links with the world's largest economy. Another potential upside would be the ability for Greenlanders to live and work in the U.S.
However, during a recent visit to Greenland in December, I discovered that there wasn't a strong desire for a significant deal with the U.S. One local researcher shared a recent survey indicating that while many Greenlanders favor closer relationships with the U.S., an even larger proportion expressed interest in strengthening ties with countries like Iceland and Canada.
Consequently, if President Trump is banking on a popular movement in Greenland to facilitate this deal, he has substantial work to do.
5. Is a deal actually going to happen? Likely not.
The prospect of an outright purchase or a free association agreement remains distant. Nonetheless, Donald Trump does appear to have garnered the attention of both Greenland's and Denmark's governments, suggesting that various potential measures for enhanced military or economic integration could be considered. It's still possible that a deal could emerge that focuses on increased trade or improved strategic bases in Greenland for the United States.
Anna Muller for TROIB News
