President Donald Trump made his case to world leaders on Wednesday that the U.S. must annex Greenland for global peace.
Trump said no nation or group of nations is in a position to protect the 800,000-square-mile Arctic nation. He said only the U.S. could keep the strategic island safe. Greenland, home to 57,000 people, is a semi-autonomous Danish territory. Trump said it must become part of the U.S.
“We need it for strategic national security and international security,” Trump said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “This enormous unsecured island is actually part of North America … that’s our territory.”
Trump called for immediate negotiations, claiming U.S. acquisition would improve Greenland for both Europe and the U.S. He underscored the move aims to strengthen, not threaten, NATO.
“This would greatly enhance the security of the entire alliance,” he said.
Trump insisted U.S. ownership is essential, stating a lease agreement would not suffice for the island.
“Who the hell wants to defend a license agreement or a lease?” the president said.
Trump also said he would not use force to acquire Greenland, something he previously had not ruled out.
Trump said that Europe has an opportunity to allow the U.S. to take control of Greenland from Denmark.
“They have a choice,” he said. “You can say ‘yes,’ and we will be very appreciative, or you can say ‘no,’ and we will remember.”
Many European leaders, including those from Greenland and Denmark, oppose Trump’s plans for acquire Greenland. Over the weekend, Trump warned that NATO allies who oppose his plans to acquire Greenland will face escalating tariffs: a 10% duty on all exports to the U.S. from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland beginning Feb. 1, rising to 25% by June 1. Trump has said the tariffs will remain in effect until Denmark hands over Greenland.
Public polling shows Greenlanders overwhelmingly oppose joining America.
Experts say as ice melts in the Arctic, more shipping and military ship routes could open in the region, changing the global trade and the defensive relationship between the U.S. and Russia. More mining and drilling exploration could also open up.
Buying the nation could cost U.S. taxpayers billions or trillions, depending on how the Arctic island is valued. It could also cost U.S. taxpayers to maintain Greenland’s infrastructure and aging population.
Greenland relies mainly on fishing and about $1 billion in annual Danish subsidies. Denmark’s central bank recently reported that Greenland faces deficits and long-term fiscal sustainability problems.
In 1867, when President Andrew Johnson bought Alaska, he also considered buying Greenland. The U.S. also tried to buy Greenland in 1946. The United States proposed paying Denmark $100 million in gold to purchase Greenland, according to documents in the National Archives. The sale never went through, but the U.S. got the military base it wanted on the island.
