Photo: Alamy | Analysis by Summer Lane
Amid escalating discussions about the United States’ potential acquisition of Greenland, the world’s attention has suddenly turned to the future of the globe’s largest and yet sparsely populated island.
Following a trip to Davos, Switzerland, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that a framework agreement was in place for a possible deal regarding Greenland.
“We have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region. This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
Thanks to this step forward in negotiations, the president also noted that he would not impose his previously threatened 10 percent tariffs on NATO nations that opposed America’s pursuit of Greenland.
Like it or not, Greenland has a very real chance of becoming, perhaps, a U.S. territory. But how do Greenlanders feel about the potential political changes amid an increasingly imperialistic America and two dangerously powerful superpowers, Russia and China?
Greenlanders bristle at the idea of being ‘for sale’
Independent journalist Nick Shirley – the same young man who broke the initial stories on the massive alleged fraud in Minnesota – took a look at Greenlanders’ attitude toward a possible U.S. takeover of the country. He spoke with native Greenlanders, who broadly opposed the idea.
A resounding theme across the interviews he conducted? “Greenland is not for sale.”
“We have taken care of [Greenland], long, long, long before any people could live here,” one woman said. “That’s part of our heritage. And we have our rights.”
Another Greenlander expressed his distaste for President Trump’s pursuit of Greenland, noting that he believed it all came down to expanding military expansion on the island.
“I don’t want the military in Greenland, we don’t have anything to do with war, and we will never have something to do with it,” he stated.
A national security puzzle
President Trump has transparently pursued Greenland in the name of national security, stating on numerous occasions that China and Russia would move to claim the island if the U.S. did not.
And this week at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting with Davos, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told the crowded that President Trump was right: “President Trump is right…we need to defend the Arctic,” he said.
It is clear that Greenland is indeed strategic in the eyes of the world’s greatest powers, including Russia and China. Greenland may not want the military attention it is receiving, but it seems inevitable given its rich natural resources and key geographic location.
Just this week, thousands of Greenlanders rallied in their capital city, pushing back on President Trump’s move to take the country. “Greenland is not for sale,” they chanted, according to footage from Fox News.
Will the U.S. take Greenland by military force? President Trump has suggested that such a strong move will likely be unneeded.
“I don’t think it will be necessary, I really don’t,” he said in Davos. “I think people are going to use better judgment.”
During his remarks at the World Economic Forum, he expressed his respect for Greenlanders and Danes while acknowledging the national security risks in the modern world.
“I have tremendous respect for both the people of Greenland and the people of Denmark,” the president said in Davos this week. “…The fact is, no nation or group of nations is in any position to be able to secure Greenland other than the United States. We’re a great power, much greater than people even understand.”
The president pointed out Denmark’s military weakness, reminding the WEF that during World War II, the small nation fell to German forces in a matter of hours. The U.S., at the time, actively defended Greenland, as it was recognized as a strategic stronghold.
“We literally set up bases on Greenland for Denmark,” President Trump said. “…We saved Greenland, and we successfully prevented our enemies from gaining a foothold in our hemisphere.”
What’s going to happen?
It seems likely that President Trump will get what he wants. Whether Greenland falls under broad U.S. influence in the form of an official acquisition or simply a far-reaching, cooperative agreement remains to be seen.
On Thursday, the president said that the Greenland framework “will be amazing for the U.S.A.,” and he’s not kidding. What began as a soft perusal of acquiring the country has become an all-out imperialistic pursuit of the entire Arctic region – an area long eyed greedily by Russia.
But the negotiations over Greenland are unsurprising to anyone familiar with President Trump’s negotiating style, as catalogued in great detail in his bestselling book, The Art of the Deal.
“My style of deal-making is quite simple and straightforward,” he wrote in the 1987 book. “I aim very high, and then I just keep pushing and pushing to get what I’m after. Sometimes I settle for less than I sought, but in most cases I still end up with what I want.”
While Greenlanders may be generally opposed to the United States’ influence over their country, this reality remains: if it’s not the United States taking the reins in Greenland, it will be someone else – someone with an iron fist, like Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The terms of the potential agreement with Greenland remain to be seen, but one thing is certain. President Donald Trump is very likely to win this negotiation battle, and America – as well as Greenlanders – ultimately stand to benefit.