Thanks to Donald Trump, Greenland has become a major topic after the president-elect suggested acquiring the island in a social media post. “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,” he wrote on Truth Social.
The comment predictably attracted attention, and created controversy, since Trump is returning to the White House. It is technically not a new topic, however, since Trump mentioned it on the campaign trail and was talking about it as far back as 2019.
In a sign Trump is serious, son Donald Trump, Jr. recently paid a visit to the island where he was warmly greeted by the native population.
With a population of 56,000, Greenland is closely tied to Denmark but has moved closer and closer to self-rule – and farther away from Denmark’s authority – dating back to the 1970s. About 88% of the population are Inuit, or native peoples, with the remaining population sharing European descent.
The island itself, most of it covered with ice caps, is approximately 836,000 square miles and is considered the world’s largest island.
Kirk Lippold, a former navy commander, tells AFN he can see where the Monroe Doctrine that added Louisiana and Alaska could apply in the 21st Century to Greenland, too.
“Trump may be doing it in a rather undiplomatic and rather transactional manner,” Lippold observes, “but at the end of the day, we're entering into a discussion on does the Danish government have an interest in allowing Greenland to be purchased by the United States and possibly be considered a territory or a state. Why not have those discussions?"
In a related NPR story, an earth sciences professor told NPR the island is important to the United States. It is our “eyes” in the Arctic, which is a national security issue. It also contains rare earth minerals and uranium.
The professor speculated that acquiring the island is unlikely so pursuing close diplomatic ties is a better plan for the incoming Trump administration.
According to Lippold, he believes Trump realizes Greenland is a strategic outpost for the U.S. to watch and counter Russia in the Arctic region.
“So the blunt reality is the status quo today is failing to meet U.S. national security interests,” he advises. “Therefore, it needs to be a challenge across the political spectrum.”
