Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs President-elect Donald Trump would face a number of hurdles should he press ahead with his calls to purchase Greenland, as on top of potentially causing a diplomatic crisis, experts have told Newsweek.Newsweek has contacted the Trump transition team and the Government of Greenland’s press office for comment via email.Why It MattersTrump has escalated his calls for the U.S. to purchase Greenland, even refusing to rule out military intervention during a press conference. His “America First” agenda appears to have taken an expansionist turn, which is receiving international backlash before his January 20 inauguration.
An aircraft carrying Donald Trump Jr. arrives in Nuuk, Greenland on January 7, 2025. Experts say President-elect Donald Trump will struggle to move forward with his designs of purchasing Greenland.
An aircraft carrying Donald Trump Jr. arrives in Nuuk, Greenland on January 7, 2025. Experts say President-elect Donald Trump will struggle to move forward with his designs of purchasing Greenland.
EMIL STACH/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP/Getty Images
What to KnowTrump reignited his ambition to purchase Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, calling it “an absolute necessity” for U.S. national security in December.Trump said that the U.S. needs Greenland and the Panama Canal for “economic security” during a Tuesday press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.The proposal faces significant hurdles, both politically and practically, and could have far-reaching implications.Strong Opposition From Greenland and DenmarkGreenland and Denmark’s political leaders have strongly rejected the idea of transferring Greenland to the U.S.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Danish television station TV 2 Tuesday that she agrees with Greenland Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede’s previous statement that “Greenland is not for sale.”When Trump first raised the idea in 2019, Frederiksen dismissed it as “absurd.”Greenland’s Desire for IndependenceFor years, Greenland has debated holding a referendum to declare full independence from Denmark, under which it has been self-governing since 1979.A poll released in 2019 conducted by the University of Copenhagen and Ilisimatusarfik, the University of Greenland, found that 67 percent of Greenlanders supported independence.Summer Marion, an assistant professor of global studies at Bentley University in Massachusetts, told Newsweek it would be “contradictory” for Greenland to declare independence from Denmark only to “relinquish” its sovereignty to the U.S.Shane Barter, an international political scientist at Soka University of America in California, said Greenlanders would reject “transferring from one colonial power to another.”Risk of International FalloutTrump may harm U.S. relations with Europe if he continues to push for Greenland’s acquisition.Denmark is a member of the European Union and NATO. Persisting with the proposal, not to mention threatening military intervention, to claim Greenland would strain relations with Denmark and other European allies as well as put NATO in jeopardy.French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has warned that the European Union will not stand by if its “sovereign borders” are threatened.Strategic Risks Involving Russia and ChinaGreenland’s location between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, as well as its oil and gas resources, makes it strategically valuable.The U.S. already has a permanent military presence at the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland’s northwest. A purchase could heighten tensions with Russia and lead to direct competition with China, which has increased its Arctic mining presence in recent years.Zhiqun Zhu, a professor of political science and international relations at Bucknell University, told Newsweek that acquiring Greenland could spread the U.S.-China rivalry into the Arctic.Unclear CostsThe potential cost of purchasing Greenland remains unknown, especially given the lack of recent historical precedent for such an acquisition.Marion criticized the idea as an “outdated, colonial approach to foreign policy,” adding that funds would be better spent addressing more pressing domestic and foreign issues.What People Are SayingSummer Marion, Bentley University assistant professor of global studies, told Newsweek: “Trump’s proposal to purchase Greenland is sure to encounter major obstacles. First is the question of with whom the Trump administration would negotiate such an acquisition. Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, meaning such foreign policy issues must currently be negotiated through the Danish government. However, Greenland has been positioned to declare independence from Denmark via referendum since 2009. If Greenland were to declare its independence, it would be free to sell its territory to the United States. It would be contradictory to declare independence from its former colonizer, only to then relinquish its newfound sovereignty to the U.S.”The idea of acquiring entire territories by purchase is an outdated, colonial approach to foreign policy that has not been commonly employed in decades. Given likely political resistance from Greenland’s inhabitants and the already-established U.S. military presence there, the obstacles the U.S. would face in acquiring the territory may outweigh any strategic gain. The considerable cost of the purchase would divert resources from other pressing foreign policy priorities and domestic needs at a time when the U.S. is facing internal challenges.”Shane Barter, international political scientist at Soka University of America, told Newsweek: “Purchasing territory is not how territorial politics works in the 21st century. Greenland is an Indigenous semi-sovereign region that would reject association with the United States. This would involve transferring from one colonial power to another, just as Greenland is gaining greater sovereignty.”Trump’s rhetoric may push Europe, like Canada, further from the United States, isolating the superpower. Especially as Chinese companies partner with Greenland for resource extraction, the rhetoric from Trump may very likely backfire.”Zhiqun Zhu, professor of political science at Bucknell University, told Newsweek: “Trump did not mention China specifically, but China seems to loom large in his calculation about Greenland. Economically, Greenland is rich in resources, including oil, gas, and rare earth materials essential for the chip industry. Geostrategically, Greenland’s location between the U.S. and Russia is critical as great-power competition intensifies.”Geostrategically, Greenland is also valuable as great power competition intensifies. It lies between the U.S. and Russia, and China has become more actively involved in the Arctic region in recent years. US-China rivalry could spread to the Arctic.”Trump’s language about Greenland could tarnish America’s global image and standing. If military intervention were pursued, NATO’s ‘collective defense’ principle could result in a war between the U.S. and its NATO allies.”What Happens NextTrump may continue to tout his plans for expanding U.S. territory, including Greenland, the Panama Canal, and Canada as a “51st state,” once he takes office on January 20.Prime Minister Egede has hinted that a Greenland independence referendum could be held alongside the island’s parliamentary elections in April.
