Climate and geopolitics: Denmark's Prime Minister responds to Trump's attempt to claim Greenland.
Greenland has made it clear that it is not for sale. The island's residents must determine their own future.
This was stated by Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, as reported by RBK-Ukraine citing Politico.
She reminded that Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede "made it very, very clear... that there is strong support among the people of Greenland for the idea that Greenland is not for sale and will not be sold in the future."
Even five years after Frederiksen criticized Trump's attempts, she reiterated that "Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders."
"On one hand, I am pleased with the growing American interest in Greenland. However, it is important that this happens in a way that allows Greenlanders to decide what their future will be," Frederiksen said in an interview with Danish TV channel TV 2 on Tuesday.
It's worth noting that in 2019, Trump had already proposed to buy Greenland. At that time, Frederiksen called the proposal "absurd" and emphasized that Greenlanders should decide their own future.
She also deemed the growing independence movement on the island as "legitimate."
"I notice a strong desire among many Greenlanders to move towards independence. This is legitimate, and therefore I believe it is important that Greenland's future is shaped in (the capital of Greenland - ed.) Nuuk," she stated.
The Danish leader's remarks came after Trump proposed last month to buy Greenland from Denmark, calling the acquisition of the Arctic territory by the U.S. an "absolute necessity." He had also made such a proposal during his first term in 2019, which drew criticism from Frederiksen.
Intersection of Interests
Meanwhile, as reported by Associated Press, Jeff Dabelko, a professor of security and environment at Ohio University, explained the U.S. attempts to encroach on Greenland as a place where "climate change, resource scarcity, tense geopolitics, and new trade patterns intersect."
According to the scholar, the world's largest island is currently "largely at the center of geopolitical and geo-economic competition," partly due to climate change.
Dabelko noted that valuable rare earth minerals trapped within are needed for telecommunications. Additionally, Greenland's subsoil contains uranium, billions of unused barrels of oil, and vast natural gas reserves.
The scholar pointed out that many of these resources are currently primarily supplied by China, which is why other countries, such as the United States, are also interested. Three years ago, the Danish government suspended oil drilling on the shelf in areas inhabited by 57,000 people.
Since 1992, Greenland has been losing about 182 billion tons (169 billion metric tons) of ice annually, with losses reaching 489 billion tons per year (444 billion metric tons) in 2019.
Risk of Freezing Europe and the U.S.
Mark Serreze, director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado, noted that Greenland will be a "key focal point" throughout the 21st century due to the impact of its melting ice sheet on sea levels. He added that "in the future, this impact is likely to become even greater."
Greenland also acts as a driver and "switch" for a key ocean current that significantly influences Earth's climate, particularly the activity of hurricanes and winter storms. It is called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and is slowing down due to an influx of fresh water into the ocean from melting ice in Greenland.
Serreze pointed out that the shutdown of the AMOC current system would be a turning point for the climate, potentially plunging Europe and parts of North America into a prolonged freeze—a scenario depicted in the 2004 film "The Day After Tomorrow."
Greenland plays a certain role in the dramatic freezing currently experienced by two-thirds of the U.S. Winter weather expert Judah Cohen noted that in 2012, weather conditions over Greenland helped steer Superstorm Sandy towards New York and New Jersey.
"Through Greenland's glaciers, jet stream patterns are also changing, bringing storms across the globe and dictating daily weather. Often, especially in winter, a blocking high-pressure system near Greenland causes Arctic air to plunge west and east, impacting North America and Europe," Cohen said.
Moreover, as noted by AP, since Greenland is located beyond the Arctic Circle between the United States, Russia, and Europe, it has been a geopolitical prize that the U.S. and other countries have coveted for over 150 years. Its value is increasing as the Arctic becomes more accessible for shipping and trade.
The Island of Greenland
Greenland is the world's largest island with a population of about 60,000 people. The island was a colony of Denmark for a long time but became an autonomous state with its own parliament in 1979. It remains a territory of Denmark, with Copenhagen controlling its foreign and defense policy.
According to a 2009 agreement with Denmark, Greenland can declare independence only after a successful referendum. Egede, the leader of the state, did not rule out in his New Year's address that a referendum might be held simultaneously with the upcoming parliamentary elections on the island in April this year.
As global powers seek to expand their influence and presence in the Arctic, resource-rich Greenland, which hosts a U.S. military base, is desirable due to its strategic value in security and trade.
Trump's Encroachments
During his first term as U.S. president (2017-2021), Donald Trump expressed interest in acquiring Greenland.
After the latest messages from the elected U.S. president, on January 6, 2025, King Frederik X of Denmark changed the royal coat of arms, making Greenland and the Faroe Islands more prominent.
The Washington Post suggests that such statements from Trump may be driven by a policy of countering Russia and China.
On Tuesday, January 8, Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., landed in Greenland for a private visit. He was accompanied by well-known conservative activist Charlie Kirk and Trump Sr.'s personnel director Sergio Gor.
For insights into what lies behind Trump's messages regarding Greenland, the Panama Canal, and Canada, read our original article.