Summary
- Trump
appeared less focused on acquiring Greenland recently. - The
Danish Prime Minister believes Trump will revisit Greenland interests. - Trump’s
past moves stressed Greenland’s strategic and security value.
Mette Frederiksen, the prime minister of Denmark, stated on
Tuesday that it is too soon for anyone to “breathe a sigh of relief.”
Trump has stated in the past that he is committed to
acquiring Greenland and that American sovereignty over the island is necessary
for “national security and international security.”
In March, when reporters questioned him about whether he
would contemplate using military force to acquire Greenland, he responded,
“I never take military force off the table.”
The self-governing Danish colony of Greenland has strongly
opposed the U.S.’s possible acquisition of it, and the Danish government has
denounced the Trump administration’s efforts to impose its will on the region.
During her address to parliament on Tuesday, Frederiksen
said that much of Greenland’s population still lives in uncertainty over what
the Trump administration will do to try to take control of the island and its
vast supply of unmined rare earth minerals.
“Imagine what it’s like to live in one of the small
settlements along the coast … when the world’s strongest superpower has talked
about you as something that can be bought, as something that can be owned, as
something that must be had,”
she said.
“No matter what happens, we support Greenland in determining
its own future. And we will not be threatened or intimidated into doing
something that is clearly wrong.”
Greenland’s leadership is in talks with the U.K. to
formalize a mineral partnership and its Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt told
Politico it wanted to explore trade partnerships with other “like-minded
countries” in an attempt to fortify it against American bullying.
“Of course, we want to have cooperation with our critical
minerals with our like-minded countries, and [the] EU is a good partner, we
like them,”
she said in May.
She also condemned the Trump administration for its
aggressive push to take control of the island.
“We’re supposed to be friends. We are allies. Allies don’t
do such things,”
Motzfeldt said.
“The situation is new to us, and new to the
rest of the world, because you don’t do… that to your ally.”
“Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not
done a good job by the people of Greenland,”
Vance said in March.
“You
have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in
the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass filled with
incredible people. That has to change.”
In an effort to interact with Greenlanders directly, Vance
and his wife Usha traveled to the island in March, but nobody was interested in
meeting with them.
The Vances had originally planned to meet with a travel
agency in Greenland and attend the Avannaata Qimusseruaq, one of the biggest
dog-sledding races in the world, but both plans were canceled. Rather, before
returning to the United States, they stopped by an American Space Force base.
“I have to say that it is unacceptable pressure being placed
on Greenland and Denmark in this situation. And it is pressure that we will
resist,”
Frederiksen told Danish broadcasters DR and TV2 at the time.
“You cannot make a private visit with official
representatives from another country when the acting Greenlandic government has
made it very clear that they do not want a visit at this time.”
What are Denmark’s legal options to block a US bid for
Greenland?
Greenland is self-governing as of 2009, which means that
authority for most areas of internal governance lies with the government of
Greenland. If there was to be a sale or transfer of sovereignty
associated with Greenland, it would require the permission of the government of
Greenland, and of Greenland’s population, either through consultations or
referenda. This means that Greenland really has a veto over that transfer of
sovereignty.
Greenland is a constituent part of the Kingdom of Denmark,
and Denmark cannot sell or cede sovereignty over Greenland as if it were some
colonial asset. Under international law, Greenland and all countries with
populations seeking to be sovereign – has the right of self-determination.
Essentially, this means that to take over or acquire Greenland would require
Greenland’s consent.
Denmark’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, and other
Danish leaders have clearly stated there would be no selling of
Greenland.
