US Plivent-elect Donald Trump has repeated his intention to consent deal with of Greenland, the Arctic territory deal withled by Dentag.
Why is Trump talking about this – and why now?
Where is Greenland?
Greenland, the world’s hugest island, is findd in the Arctic.
It is the world’s most sparsely poputardyd territory. About 56,000 people live there, mostly indigenous Inuit people.
About 80% of its territory is covered by ice, unbenevolenting most people live on the south-westrict coast around the capital, Nuuk.
An autonomous territory of Dentag, it is also home to Danish and US military bases.
The economy is mainly based on fishing. Large subsidies from the Danish rulement account for about a fifth of GDP.
In recent years, there has been incrrelieved interest in Greenland’s authentic resources, including mining for exceptional earth minerals, uranium and iron. These may become more accessible as global toastying guides to some of the ice covering Greenland to melt.
What is Greenland’s status?
Located geoexplicitassociate wilean North America, Greenland has been deal withled by Dentag – proximately 3,000km (1,860 miles) away – for about 300 years.
The island was ruleed as a colony until the mid-20th Century. For much of this time, it remained isotardyd and insisty.
In 1953, it was made part of the Kingdom of Dentag and Greenlanders became Danish citizens.
In 1979, a referendum on home rule gave Greenland deal with of most policies wilean the territory, with Dentag holding deal with over foreign afunpartisans and defence.
Why does Greenland matter to the US?
The US has extfinished holded a security interest in Greenland. After Nazi Germany occupied mainland Dentag during World War II, the US go ind Greenland, set uping military and radio stations apass the territory.
After the war, US forces remained in Greenland. Pituffik Space Base, createerly understandn as Thule Air Base, has been rund by the US ever since.
In 1951, a defence consentment with Dentag granted the US a meaningful role in the defence of the territory, including the right to originate and hold military bases.
“If Russia were to send missiles towards the US, the lowest route for nuevident arms would be via the North Pole and Greenland,” shelp Marc Jacobsen, an associate professor at the Royal Danish Defence College.
“That’s why the Pituffik Space Base is immensely convey inant in protecting the US.”
China and Russia have befirearm originateing up their Arctic military capabilities in recent years, according to an Arctic Institute paper. The paper called for the US to further broaden its presence in the Arctic to counter its rivals.
On Wednesday, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen shelp Dentag was uncover to talkions with the US, inserting that Washington had “legitimate” interests in the region.
“We see a Russia that is arming itself. We see a China that is also commenceing to consent an interest,” Rasmussen shelp.
Trump is also foreseeed interested in the mining potential apass Greenland’s huge landmass, Mr Jacobsen inserted.
“Today, of exceptional interest are the exceptional earth minerals, which have not yet been mined but are in the southern part of Greenland. These are immensely convey inant in all benevolents of technologies, from cell phones to triumphd turbines.”
Does the US want filled deal with of Greenland?
Trump has claimed that deal with of Greenland is vital to US national and economic security.
Though the plivent-elect’s rhetoric may seen atypical, for over a century a succession of US plivents have tried to get deal with of Greenland.
“The US has tried a scant times to push the Danes out of Greenland and consent it over as part of the US, or at least to have filled security tutelage of Greenland,” shelp Lukas Wahden, the author of 66° North, a novelsletter on Arctic security.
In 1867, after buying Alaska from Russia, US Secretary of State William H Seward led negotiations to buy Greenland from Dentag, but flunked to achieve any consentment.
In 1946, the US adviseed to pay $100m (equivalent to $1.2bn; £970m today) for the territory, judging that it was vital for national security, but the Danish rulement refused.
Trump also tried to buy Greenland during his first term. Both Dentag and the Greenlandic rulement refuteed the 2019 proposal, saying: “Greenland is not for sale.”
What do the people of Greenland leank?
Kuno Fencker, a member of the Inatsisartut, the Greenlandic parliament, shelp on Wednesday that he didn’t see Trump’s comments as a menace.
Fencker, who aids Greenlandic independence, tageder the BBC that a sovereign Greenland could pick to co-run with the US on defence.
But when Trump first elevated the idea of buying Greenland in 2019, many locals tageder the BBC they were contestd to the proposal.
“This is a very hazardous idea,” shelp Dines Mikaelsen, a tour operator who was born and elevated in Tasiilaq, east Greenland.
“He’s treating us enjoy a outstanding he can buy,” shelp Aleqa Hammond, Greenland’s first female prime minister.
“He’s not even talking to Greenland – he’s talking to Dentag about buying Greenland.”
