5 factors that could hinder Mr. Trump's ambition to take over Greenland
President-elect Donald Trump will face several obstacles if he continues to push the idea of purchasing Greenland, experts told Newsweek. This could not only lead to a potential diplomatic crisis but also pose significant political challenges.
Trump has intensified the idea of buying Greenland, even suggesting the use of military force in a press conference. His "America First" policy seems to be aimed at expanding territory, which has sparked global reactions just before his inauguration on January 20.
Trump called the acquisition of Greenland "an absolute necessity" for U.S. national security.
In a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida earlier this week, he emphasized that the U.S. needs Greenland and the Panama Canal to "ensure economic security."
However, observers believe he will face five obstacles in his ambition to acquire Greenland for the U.S.
First, there is strong opposition from Greenland and Denmark. Political leaders from both Greenland and Denmark have strongly opposed the idea of transferring the world’s largest island to the U.S.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she agreed with the previous statement made by Greenland's leader, Múte Bourup Egede, that "Greenland is not for sale."
When Trump first mentioned the idea in 2019, Frederiksen dismissed it as "absurd."
Second, there is Greenland’s aspiration for independence. For years, Greenland has discussed holding a referendum to declare full independence from Denmark, from which it has held self-rule since 1979.
A survey published in 2019 by the University of Copenhagen and the University of Greenland found that 67% of Greenland's population supported independence.
Summer Marion, a professor of global studies at Bentley University in Massachusetts, told Newsweek that if Greenland were to declare independence from Denmark but "give up" its sovereignty to the U.S., it would be "a contradiction."
Shane Barter, an international political scientist at Soka University of America in California, stated that the people of Greenland would reject the idea of "transferring from one country to another."
Third, Trump's ambition to buy Greenland could escalate international tensions. If he continues to push this plan, he could damage the relationship between the U.S. and its European allies.
Denmark is a member of both the EU and NATO. Promoting this plan, especially the threat of military action, could sour relations with Denmark, other European allies, and weaken NATO.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has warned that the EU will not stand idly by if its "sovereign borders" are threatened.
Fourth, purchasing the Arctic island could create risks of competition between the U.S. and Russia, China. Greenland’s strategic location between the Arctic and the Atlantic Ocean, along with its oil and gas resources, makes it a region of great strategic value.
The U.S. already has a permanent military presence at the Thule Air Base in the northwest of Greenland. Acquiring this territory could increase tensions with Russia and put the U.S. in direct competition with China, which has increased its activities in the Arctic region in recent years.
Finally, it is unclear how much Trump would want to pay for Greenland. The potential cost of acquiring Greenland has not been determined, especially given the lack of recent historical precedent for such a territorial acquisition.
Expert Summer Marion criticized the idea as "an outdated approach" and argued that U.S. resources should be used to address more pressing domestic and international issues. She warned that the obstacles the U.S. might encounter in acquiring this territory could outweigh the strategic benefits it brings.
Meanwhile, expert Zhiqun Zhu from Bucknell University noted, "Trump could damage the global image of the U.S. with his remarks about Greenland. If military force is used, it could lead to conflict between the U.S. and NATO allies."
