Could the US Grab Greenland? Exploring Options From Deals to Diplomatic Rows and War
© AP Photo / Mstyslav Chernov
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Donald Trump’s renewed interest in annexing Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, has everyone wondering if such a feat could be pulled off.
While there is no formal offer on the table, buying Greenland would hypothetically cost a colossal sum, political analyst Ilya Kravchenko of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies tells Sputnik.
“Would the incoming administration want to start off with such a spending spree?” he wonders, speculating that Trump might be trying to get the lay of the land on the matter.
Amid Europe’s economic crisis, Denmark might need some extra cash, notes Alexei Leonkov, a military analyst and editor of Arsenal Otechestva (Arsenal of the Fatherland).
The last US offer to buy Greenland for $100 million was rejected in 1946. Amid renewed interest in the acquisition, Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte Egede insisted: “We are not for sale and will never be.”
What’s special about Greenland?
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) November 15, 2024
🔹 The island is speculated to be rich in substantial offshore oil and gas resources that have yet to be tapped.
🔹 It contains confirmed depositions of zinc, gold, iron ore, uranium, and various other metals.
🔹 Vast deposits of rare earth…
What Other Options are There?
Leasing
The US could offer a compromise option, such as a 99-year lease, speculates Leonkov.
Outright pressure
By leveraging NATO - threatening a US withdrawal or demanding increased spending – a classic deal could be struck: Europe, including NATO-member Denmark, cedes Greenland in exchange for certain benefits for NATO countries, Dr. Vladimir Vasiliev, political scientist and Americanist says.
Trump might also impose tariffs and pressure Denmark and its supporters, escalating to an economic war, Vasiliev, the researcher at the Institute of the US and Canada Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, notes.
Military option
It is hardly conceivable that Trump would resort to something as foolhardy as using military force against NATO-member Denmark as it is not in Washington’s interests, Kravchenko argued. A diplomatic row is more likely, with an eventual consensus reached, Leonkov suggests.
Giant icebergs float in the fjord in Narsaq, southern Greenland.
© AP Photo
Referendum
With Greenland’s population of just 50,000, offering each person $1 million could quickly secure a vote to join the United States, jokes Vasiliev.
Around 70% of the population of Greenland favor full independence, a 2019 poll showed.
The upshot:
“I think there will be a huge fuss but Greenland will join the US as a territory or even a state,” says Leonkov, adding: “Denmark will receive monetary compensation and be given strict orders to block the passage of Russian tankers through the Danish straits leading to the Baltic Sea.”
Washington may be brainstorming solutions for the gradual transfer of Greenland to US control as we speak, Vasiliev believes.
