Avoid overbidding, make an offer for dialogue and wait for it to pass. This could be summarized as the attitude of the Danish government, at a time when its main partner is threatening to annex a piece of its territory.
On January 7, the future American president cast doubt on Denmark’s rights to Greenland. He considered that the takeover of this island by the United States is a question of national security and that Denmark must not oppose it, under penalty of being imposed “very high customs duties”.
In Copenhagen, Donald Trump’s remarks first created astonishment, then embarrassment. At the end of the day on Thursday January 9, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen brought together the leaders of the parties represented in parliament. The two deputies from Greenland were also invited. She dismissed the imminent risk of forcible annexation and extended her hand. “We proposed a conversation between us,” she said after the meeting.
Avoid the “war of words”
This moderate reaction aims to calm things down, while Denmark depends a lot on the United States, both for its economy and its security. “We have no ambition to intensify a war of words with a president who will access the Oval Office”explained Løkke Rasmussen, Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Other European officials instead took it upon themselves to denounce Donald Trump’s comments, regretting their destabilizing effect. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his ” incomprehension “ after having conducted interviews with several European officials.
“The principle of the inviolability of borders applies to any country, whether small or very powerful, it is a fundamental principle of international law”he declared to the press summoned for the occasion, a very exceptional gesture. Each State must respect this principle, whether it is “ located to the east or west »continued the Chancellor, comparing a hypothetical invasion of Greenland by the United States to the very real invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The head of EU diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, for her part called for “respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Greenland”.
56,000 inhabitants over a vast territory
Four times the size of France, Greenland is populated by barely 56,000 inhabitants. It became a Danish colony in 1814, then since 1953 an autonomous territory attached to the Danish crown. As such, it is also an overseas territory of the European Union.
-The United States already has a significant military base there. It notably houses a radar station used to detect missile threats and monitor space. The Americans are also interested in the mineral wealth underground in this territory.
Donald Trump had already mentioned the idea of purchasing Greenland during his first term in 2019. He relied on precedents, such as the purchase of Alaska from Russia or Louisiana from France . In 1917, the Danish crown had also sold territory to the United States: a group of islands in the West Indies that became the Virgin Islands. But when Donald Trump suddenly made the proposal, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called it “absurd”.
Towards an independence referendum
Today, as Donald Trump prepares to begin a new term, it is more difficult to brush this idea aside. Especially since Copenhagen maintains complicated relations with Greenland. This territory depends largely on the Danish state which pays it a subsidy of 600 million euros per year. But residents could be sensitive to investment proposals from other countries.
Greenland’s Prime Minister, Mute Bourup Egede, is an outspoken supporter of independence. Elections take place in April 2025 and if he wins, he wants to organize a referendum on the subject. He has already said that his country is not for sale. But he also said that Greenland is “open for business” and keen to strengthen its ties with neighboring countries, while wanting to be treated as equals.
The day after Donald Trump’s statements, the local government issued a statement saying: “The development and future of Greenland are decided solely by its people.” Mute Bourup Egede, for his part, seems determined to take advantage of the renewed interest aroused in his territory. He called on his fellow citizens to “stay united, ready for a new future”.
