BY STEPHEN PAX LEONARD
Erik the Red famously named Greenland as such in the 10th century in order to persuade people to settle there. Greenland is one big sheet of ice, and the only thing green about it is the colour of the vast meltwater lakes that sit on top of the Greenland Ice Sheet during the summer months. But, don’t take it from me. I am red-green colour blind!
Erik the Red’s propaganda never really came to much. Greenland remains the least densely populated country in the world, and its demographic statistics have barely changed for decades. Fast forward many centuries and enter the new era of neo-colonialism banditry, and suddenly the President of the United States is talking about ‘taking Greenland by any means possible’. He claims that Denmark has no legal claim to Greenland. Well, let’s look at the facts and see what is the real nature of Trump’s interest.
Denmark does not own Greenland. Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Greenland has enjoyed Self-Rule since 2009. Technically, Greenland could call a referendum tomorrow on independence and break free entirely from Denmark. Practically speaking, it would make no sense. Greenland has no defence of its own whereas as part of the Kingdom of Denmark it is a NATO member. Greenland receives a great deal of funding from Denmark and is reliant on it for teachers, doctors, nurses, engineers etc. The truth is Greenland would have trouble functioning effectively as an independent country.
Trump says that ‘a couple of hundred years ago, a few boats turned up and said Greenland was theirs’. Undoubtedly, he has in mind here Hans Egede. Egede was a Norwegian missionary who arrived on the icy shores of Nuuk in 1721, established a colony and a Lutheran mission. At the time, Norway was part of Denmark. Norway was ceded to Sweden in the Treaty of Kiel which ended the hostilities of the Napoleonic wars in 1814 and Greenland was given to Denmark. Norway never recognised this, but that is another question. Denmark at least has a legal claim to Greenland.
Despite being part of the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland is not a member of the EU and thus has protected its fishing industry which is responsible for ninety percent of its exports. Most Greenlanders wish to be independent, but also appreciate that they have a very good deal with Denmark and that it makes little sense to go it alone entirely. Greenlanders have also a tremendous love for the Danish Royal Family, and in times of disagreement this has helped keep the two lands united. Denmark wishes to keep Greenland in its union because it means it is an Arctic player with a seat on the Arctic Council. In my opinion at least, Denmark’s stewardship of Greenland has (with the odd exception) been rather exemplary.
Trump tells us that he is going to ‘make the Greenlanders rich’ by handing out 10,000 dollars to each citizen. Well, they already receive that more or less even if it is not cash in their back pocket. The Danish block grant to Greenland is worth about 10,000 dollars per person. With the current crisis, the Danes are now pledging as a teaser to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the infrastructure of Greenland.
Trump’s most recent pivot is that he has to protect Greenland (and thus the West) from Russia and China. This is nonsense. Since the 1950s, the US has had a major air base in Greenland which houses their BMEWS (Ballistic Missile Early Warning System). Over time, instead of increasing their presence in Greenland the US has in fact been steadily decreasing their personnel there. Why would they do that if Russia and China were such a threat? At one point, they had 18,000 troops at Pituffik in north-west Greenland. Now, their numbers are a small fraction of that. The Danes have even offered to lease more territory to the Americans, but the concept of leasehold does not appeal to Trump – the real estate mogul. Over half of the Arctic coastline belongs to Russia. Russia is by far the largest Arctic nation. It is also a resource rich country. It has no need for Greenland and the idea that it would attack a NATO country is pure folly. China, on the other hand, has an interest in Greenland and would very much like to tap into her resources and ship them across the Arctic Ocean to China. Greenland is 4,000 miles from China. Let’s be clear, it is unlikely that it is ever going to try and take over a country that is a NATO member with a significant US military presence and that is not even in her hemisphere.
Trump must recognise all this, but continues to blurt out all this scaremongering rhetoric. So, why does Trump really want Greenland? He wants it for two reasons. As with Iraq, probably Venezuela and elsewhere, he wants to strip it of its resources. Greenlanders will gain nothing from this. And secondly, he wants it because he loves to go where his predecessors appear to have failed. The US has attempted to acquire Greenland previously. Truman tried to buy it immediately after the Second World War, but their offer was politely declined. As we saw when he threw his toys out of his pram after not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Trump is an egomaniac who will apparently stop at nothing. A US military offensive against Greenland could potentially end his presidency, shatter the western alliance and mark the end of NATO. Overnight, the world would become multipolar. With the exception of Trump and some closely aligned colleagues enjoying this demonic ego-trip, nobody wants to see Greenland fall into American hands. Most telling of all, the Greenlanders definitely do not want it. On countless occasions, Trump promised us ‘no more wars’. If Daddy wants to be a real Daddy, he should do the world a favour and be good to his word.
Stephen Pax Leonard is a researcher who has lived in Greenland and published a number of books on the Arctic.