Why Greenland? Understanding Trump’s stunning territorial claim

Perceived as another signal of the new US administration’s “strong Western Hemisphere-focused foreign policy”, President-elect Donald Trump’s stunning territorial claim over Canada, Greenland and Panama Canal has ruffled many feathers.   

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Challenging the very ground rules of prevalent international system, his intent is already straining ties between the US and key allies Canada, Denmark and Panama.

Further fuelling speculations was his son Donald Trump Jr’s Tuesday stopover in Greenland. It has invoked sharp reaction from Denmark and Greenland that the Arctic island was “not for sale”.

Canada and Denmark are the member states of NATO.

Greenland, a former Danish colony, is now an autonomous territory of Denmark. As an autonomous territory of the European Union, Greenland citizens are EU citizens.

Denmark and Greenland strongly rejected the thought that the Arctic nation could be purchased. “We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our struggle for freedom,” said Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte Egede.

Greenland leaders, Danish king close ranks

According to reports from Copenhagen, Greenland leaders are meeting the Danish king over Trump’s attempt to “take control” of the Arctic island.  

On Tuesday, the Danish king reportedly changed the country’s royal coat of arms to display symbols of Greenland and the Faroe Islands more prominently. 

“With this King Frederik made a clear show of his intention to retain the territory within the kingdom of Denmark and continue to control its foreign and security policy.

“The previous royal coats of arms had three crowns, a representation of the Kalmar Union between Denmark, Norway and Sweden. In the new version, the crowns have been replaced by a polar bear and ram, which symbolise Greenland and the Faroe Islands, Previously, the ram and the polar bear occupied smaller slots,” said agency reports. 

 “Not for sale”

Notably, Trump, who assumes office on January 20, also declined to rule out military or economic action as part of his desire to make Greenland a part of the US and take control of the Panama Canal.

Responding to Trump’s comments, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said he did not believe that the US would invade the island that had been part of Denmark for more than 600 years.

“There is obviously no question that the EU would let other nations of the world attack its sovereign borders, whoever they are. We are a strong continent,” reports quoted as saying.

“If you're asking me whether I think the US will invade Greenland, my answer is no. But have we entered into a period of time when it is survival of the fittest? Then my answer is yes,” Barot said.

 Why Greenland?

“Survival of the fittest,” basically that sums it all.

According to experts, Trump’s intent clearly outlines his expansionist agenda, his country's security concerns as well as economic future.

As climate change reshapes the world, there are economic opportunities to be harnessed in the Arctic region.

The remote, icy island is resource-rich and also occupies a strategic position in a warming world with the possibility of opening new trade/economic global patterns in the world

Apart from presence of vast reserves of oil and gas and rare earth metals, its unique geopolitical position makes Greenland a strategic maritime region.

Though Trump cited America’s national security and Chinese and Russian activity in the region as the main reason to his claim, he might also be eyeing Greenland’s natural resources, including rare earth metals, they added.

These resources are expected to become more accessible with climate change.

Trump said, “We need Greenland for national security purposes…You have approximately 45,000 people there. People really don’t even know if Denmark has any legal right to it, but if they do, they should give it up because we need it for national security. That’s for the free world. I’m talking about protecting the free world.”

Like in the case of the Panama Canal, Trump also linked Greenland to China.

“You don’t even need binoculars. You look outside, you have China ships all over the place. You have Russian ships all over the place. We are not letting that happen…People are going to probably vote for independence or to come into the US,” Trump said. He also threatened Copenhagen with very high tariffs if it resisted.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen how far Trump will go to pursue his dream of acquiring Greenland.