Home NewsEurope Why ‘imperial’ Donald Trump wants to buy Denmark’s Greenland

Why ‘imperial’ Donald Trump wants to buy Denmark’s Greenland

by Marjorie

File photograph of US President Donald Trump | Bloomberg


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New Delhi: US President Donald Trump final week floated the thought of shopping for Greenland, setting off a diplomatic row between the US and Denmark.

Greenland is part of Denmark, however features as a self-governing autonomous area.

Ticked off by Trump’s supply, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen known as the proposal “absurd”. “Greenland isn’t on the market. Greenland isn’t Danish. Greenland is Greenlandic. I hope that isn’t one thing that’s critically meant,” stated Frederiksen.

In response, Trump Wednesday criticised the Danish PM, calling her “nasty”.

“All she needed to do was say ‘no we wouldn’t have an interest’. However we are able to’t deal with the US of America the best way they handled us below President Obama,” he added.

Trump additionally cancelled his scheduled journey to Denmark. In tweets, he thanked Frederiksen for being so “direct” and seemed ahead to “rescheduling someday sooner or later”.

However wanting past the rising diplomatic battle between the 2 nations, it is very important ask what lies behind Trump’s curiosity in Greenland. There are two elements which might be driving what some critics confer with as Trump’s ‘imperial mindset’.

Greenland’s colonial historical past

Greenland has had a permanent historical past of being traded as a colony amongst totally different imperial powers. As outlined by Professor Felicity Jensz of the College of Munster, Greenland’s colonial interval started in 1721. That is when the island area got here below the Dano-Norwegian monarchy. By the tip of the Napoleonic wars, Greenland grew to become a solely Danish colony.

It remained a Danish colony till 1950 — when it was lastly given the standing of an autonomous area in Denmark. In 1979, Greenland established its personal parliament and have become partially sovereign — it has the only proper to legislate on every thing aside from defence and overseas coverage.

However it’s this identification of Greenland as a colony, which drives the US President to imagine that it may very well be purchased for a sure sum.

Furthermore, there may be priority within the US for making public affords to purchase the island area. US President Harry Truman had supplied to purchase Greenland for $100 million in 1946.

North Atlantic competitors

Donald Trump’s rising curiosity in Greenland additionally has one thing to do with the intensifying big-power competitors within the North Atlantic area.

As China, Russia, European Union and the US wrestle to ascertain their dominance over the Arctic and the North Atlantic area, Greenland has acquired important geopolitical significance. There are a few elements that assist clarify this.

First, Greenland is believed to have huge mineral deposits together with zinc, copper, coal, uncommon minerals and iron ore. These pure sources are untapped and their portions are principally unknown. Thus, the nation that will get to enter Greenland in a major means would get to extract its pound of flesh.

Second, with world warming and receding ice sheets, North Atlantic transport has change into particularly profitable. With melting ice sheets, a number of new sea lanes have opened up — dramatically lowering the transport time and bringing down prices. Greenland is centrally positioned to make the most of this new actuality.

Lastly, for the US, Greenland acts as a perfect spot to set up ahead air and naval bases — which might enable it to increase its dominance over the broader Arctic area.

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