Days after US special forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from the capital Caracas in a nighttime airborne raid, President Donald Trump once again expressed his interest in making Greenland a part of the US.
"We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it. We'll worry about Greenland in about two months... let's talk about Greenland in 20 days," Trump said in response to a reporter's question while aboard Air Force One en route to Washington. Trump had also said," We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defence," in an earlier interview.
Trump's comment was met with international condemnation, with the autonomous Danish territory's prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, warning, "That's enough now."
"No more pressure. No more insinuations. No more fantasies of annexation. We are open to dialogue. We are open to discussions. But this must happen through the proper channels and with respect for international law," said Nielsen in a Facebook post.
Trump's interest in Greenland is not a new development. He first expressed his interest in buying the island from Denmark in 2019 but was rebuffed.
Why Does Trump Want Greenland To Be Part Of The US?
Greenland, which is a part of NATO through Denmark's membership, is strategically significant for the US military and for its ballistic missile early-warning system since the shortest route from Europe to North America runs via the island of just 57,000 people.
"Greenland is geographically part of the North American continent, and it is vital for the United States to prevent any other major powers from establishing a foothold on the island," Ulrik Pram Gad, a senior researcher and expert on Greenland at the Danish Institute for International Studies told Reuters.
The US currently maintains a presence at the Pituffik Space Base in northwest Greenland. Washington has previously explored expanding this presence to monitor the waters between Greenland, Iceland and Britain, which are a gateway for Russian navy vessels and nuclear submarines. The US military is already present in Pituffik air base, located in Greenland's northwest.
Rare Earth Minerals
Greenland boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth. According to a 2023 survey, 25 of 34 minerals deemed "critical raw materials" by the European Commission were found in the island. These include graphite, lithium, as well as rare earth elements used in electric vehicles (EV).
Greenland has, however, banned the extraction of oil and natural gas for environmental reasons, resulting in its economy being reliant on fishing, which accounts for over 95% of exports. It is also dependent on annual subsidies from Denmark, which cover roughly half of the island's public budget.
Legal Status
Greenland became a formal territory of Denmark in 1953 and is subject to the Danish constitution. This means any change to the island's legal status would need a constitutional amendment.
Greenland was granted broad self-governing autonomy in 2009, which includes the right to declare independence from Denmark through a referendum.
Both Greenland and Denmark rejected Trump's offer to buy the island in 2019.
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