The Geopolitics of Greenland

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring Greenland.

About Greenland

• Location: Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
  • It is the world’s largest island, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, northeast of Canada, and is separated from North America by the Davis Strait and Baffin Bay.

Reasons Behind U.S. Interest in Acquiring Greenland

• Military: Greenland is a critical outpost for monitoring the Atlantic. 
  • The US already operates the Thule Air Base there, which serves as an early warning system for Russian missiles.
  • Thule Air Base is America’s northernmost military installation, hosting critical defence infrastructure for Arctic operations.
• Resources: Global warming is melting Arctic ice, opening new sea routes and revealing vast reserves of oil, gas, and rare earth minerals (essential for chips and batteries). Trump wants to secure these resources before Russia and China.
• National Security: Greenland sits at the strategic “GIUK gap”  (Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom). It’s a key corridor for monitoring Russian naval movements between the Arctic and the Atlantic.
  • Securing Greenland would enhance deterrence and protect the U.S. homeland and allied security in the North Atlantic region.
• Historical Precedents of Louisiana and Alaska: The U.S. earlier expanded by purchase through the Louisiana Purchase (1803) from France and the Alaska Purchase (1867) from Russia.
  • Trump appears to view acquiring Greenland as continuing the legacy of 19th-century presidents who expanded U.S. territory through strategic land purchases.
• The Venezuela Effect: Trump’s approach reflects unilateralism and a “might is right” mindset, especially after recent US actions in Venezuela.

Challenges To US Ambitions of Acquiring Greenland:

• Changed Global Rules: This is the 21st century, and the rules governing state behaviour have changed from earlier expansionist eras.
• Presence of Formidable Powers: Russia and China are formidable powers, making unilateral territorial ambitions strategically risky.
• Sovereignty under International Law: International law now governs sovereignty, restricting the acquisition of territory through coercion or force. Territory cannot be grabbed under the present rules-based international order.

Potential Consequences of U.S. Acquisition of Greenland: 

• NATO Alliance Would Shatter: If the U.S. violates a NATO member’s territorial integrity, the principle of collective defence collapses, and Article 5 becomes meaningless.
• Transatlantic Trust Would Be Destroyed: Europe would shift from viewing the U.S. as a protector to seeing it as a threat, poisoning long-standing transatlantic relations.
• Rules-Based International Order Would Collapse: Since international law rests on sovereignty and consent, violating these norms would push the system back to “might is right”.
• Violation of Sovereignty and Self-Determination: Treating territory as a commodity ignores that it represents people, sovereignty, and the right to self-determination.

Conclusion

This issue is not merely about one island but reflects how neo-imperialism can resurface in modern international politics. 

• Such moves threaten the geopolitical stability built since World War II and weakens trust between nations.

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