WASHINGTON – If President-elect Donald Trump's claim that the United States should have 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 row with Denmark, whose sovereignty the giant island falls under. Then as now, the proposal was met with derision in some quarters, but it raises serious questions about the strategic importance of the ice area at a time of accelerating climate change.
Trump's comments also pointed to a dilemma facing U.S. allies that will become even more pressing in a few weeks as the Oval Office changes hands: whether smaller and less powerful states will counteract baffling statements from Washington with silence, reconciliation and The answer to throat clearing should be obfuscation or a clearly formulated contradiction – especially since the problem in question could simply disappear anyway.
Sometimes Trump ultimately defuses such swipes by saying he was just kidding. At other times he suggests that those who defy him will face consequences later. Denmark is a member of the European Union, which is already preparing for a potentially strained relationship with the new president.
Here's some background on Greenland, why the president-elect is raising the issue again, and what might come next.
What kind of place is this?
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; about two thirds of them lie within the Arctic Circle. It is mostly ice-covered and sparsely populated: fewer than 60,000 people live there. With the exception of foreign nationals, people living there are full Danish citizens.
How did this idea even come about?
The president-elect's unexpected comment came Sunday as he announced his pick for U.S. envoy to Copenhagen, PayPal co-founder Ken Howery. In a post On his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that “America believes ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” citing “national security and freedom purposes around the world.”
How did the Greenland government react?
A bit crunchy. 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.” However, the prime minister also said that Greenland “must continue to be open to cooperation and trade with the whole world, especially our neighbors.”
How did Trump's idea of 2019 go?
When Trump made his first real estate offensive, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen dismissed Trump's offer as “absurd.” The then president described this reaction as “ugly” and canceled a planned state visit to Denmark.
Still, the idea of such a purchase was not unprecedented. The United States had already made several similar forays in the 1860s, all of which were short-lived.
This time the worries for Denmark could last longer. Trump was already 19 months into his first term when he floated the idea of buying. With his swearing-in still four weeks away, the matter will simmer for four full years.
Is territorial expansion an issue for Trump's second presidency?
In this post-election and pre-inauguration period, Trump has already caused a stir by musing on Canada's status and, in an apparent dig at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, suggesting that the United States' sovereign northern neighbor could become a 51st state . He also suggested over the weekend that Washington might seek to take control of the Panama Canal, which was returned to Panama a quarter-century ago because of what Trump said were excessive fees for passage through the vital waterway.
There has been no indication that the president-elect intends to pursue any of these territorial proposals or what mechanisms would be in place to do so.
Why is Greenland strategically important?
There is a large US military base on the island. The melting of Greenland's ice sheet, which has been documented for years and is known to be accelerating, could lead to the opening of previously blocked international shipping passages and fuel great power competition in the Arctic. In addition, Greenland has immense mineral resources – gold, silver, copper and uranium – whose potential mining would be complicated by harsh weather and lack of road access, as well as environmental concerns.