National Post (National Edition)
Trump’s musings on Greenland raise eyebrows
SURE, WE’LL LOOK INTO
THAT
U. S. President Donald Trump’s interest in Greenland began last year. He has repeatedly returned to the topic, asking aides if they can pursue a purchase. He wants the island for its potential mineral and offshore oil resources, and it has significant national security value given its location. Instead of telling him they do not think it is possible, his advisers have agreed to investigate.
CAN YOU EVEN BUY A COUNTRY ?
Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark but has its own government, manages all internal affairs and retains any money generated from mining. The Danish government is responsible for foreign affairs and defence. The agreement of both the Danish and Greenland governments would likely be required. Experts believe a more likely outcome is that the U.S. would agree to an extensive investment program in the island to expand is military base and exploit its natural resources.
ANYONE
EVER BOUGHT A COUNTRY ?
Legend has it that when Dutch traders first landed in what is now New York in the 17th century, they bought Manhattan for $24 from native tribes. The exact price was 60 guilders, which in today’s money is nearer US$1,000.
In 1803, America purchased Louisiana from France for US$15 million and in 1819 acquired Florida from Spain.
In the Mexican Cession of 1848, the U.S. paid US$15 million for what is now California, followed by US$10 million to purchase parts of Arizona and New Mexico.
In 1867, it bought Alaska from Russia for US#7.2 million.
In 1917, it snapped up the Danish Virgin Islands for US$25 million in gold.
I F A N YONE
BUYS, IT SHOULD BE
CANADA
Greenland is separated from Canada’s Ellesmere Island by just 26 kilometres — and it is actually part of the Canadian Shield. The island has 56,000 residents, primarily Inuit, with 20,000 in the capital, Nuuk. And as in Canada, most of its population hugs the southern areas. Its land mass covers 2,166,086 square kilometres, about one-fifth the size of Canada, and 1.7 million square kilometres of that is covered in ice. Only 0.6 per cent of the land is used for agriculture.
DON’ T OVERSTAY
YOUR WELCOME
Trump is to visit Denmark in September to meet with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Queen Margrethe II and the leaders of Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The Arctic will be on the agenda, though there has been no indication that a Greenland purchase will be. But Danes are worried this will derail the agenda of the trip. “It will suck the oxygen out of the room and it will take over everything,” said one.
LOCALS
NOT AMUSED
“We are open for business, but we’re not for sale,” Greenland’s foreign minister Ane Lone Bagger said.
“It has to be an April Fool’s joke. Totally out of season,” former prime minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen tweeted.
“If he is truly contemplating this, then this is final proof that he has gone mad,” the Danish People’s Party said.
“Oh dear lord.… this is a complete and total catastrophe,” former U.S. ambassador to Denmark, Rufus Gifford, tweeted.
“We are talking about real people and you can’t just sell Greenland like an old colonial power,” said Martin Lidegaard, a former foreign minister.
IS TRUMP THE ONLY ONE TO WANT GREENLAND?
Former U.S. president Harry S. Truman tried to buy it in 1946 for US$100 million in gold. By 1946, a committee of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff agreed to try again. They believed the territory was “completely worthless to Denmark, indispensable to the safety of the United States.” Indispensable, yes, given the Cold War was just around the corner. In 1951, a defence treaty with Denmark gave the U.S. military rights at the Thule Air Base in northern Greenland. It is the most northern U.S. military facility, and part of the American early warning system for incoming ballistic missiles. The base, 1,200 km north of the Arctic Circle, has 600 U.S. personnel.
WHAT I F ?
Greenland would be a fitting target for a nation with a history of annexing the territory of Indigenous peoples. A purchase would just beat the 2,144,510-sq.-km Louisiana Purchase and become the largest expansion in American history. It would almost equal the size of the original 13 colonies combined.
WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO GREENLAND?
Growing involvement of the U.S. could boost the local economy. A handful of companies that operate in Greenland are listed on stock markets around the world, although investment in small private companies carries considerable risk. Any increased oil and gas production could buoy the territory’s sector. Tourism is growing, and would likely enjoy further increase. Currently, most residents are employed by the government.
National Post news services