US Revives Attempt to Purchase 'Greenland'... "Necessary for Security"

Possibility of Repurchase Retry Increases with Trump's Election
"By 2029, Greenland Also a US Electoral District"
Ukraine War and Greenland Independence Movement as Variables

AFP Yonhap News

With the inauguration of Donald Trump's second administration scheduled for January next year, there is growing speculation that the United States will once again pursue the purchase of Greenland, the world's largest island. Previously, during Trump's first term in 2019, the U.S. government considered buying Greenland for security reasons but the plan was scrapped due to opposition from Denmark, which owns Greenland.

However, since the outbreak of the Ukraine war in 2022, the threat of Russian military provocations in the Baltic Sea and Arctic regions has increased, prompting voices within the U.S. to call for renewed efforts to acquire Greenland. Greenland is geopolitically important for security and also rich in rare earth minerals. Not only Russia but also China is seeking to expand its influence, raising the possibility that Greenland will become a battleground for major powers in the future.

Does Greenland Support the Republican Party Too? ... Greenland Reacquisition Theory Ignites on Electoral District Map

On the 8th (local time), a map posted on the X (formerly Twitter) account of Michael Collins, a Republican U.S. Representative from Georgia. Under the words "Project 2029," there is a map of U.S. electoral districts, which also includes Greenland as part of the districts. Michael Collins X account

According to the American news weekly Newsweek, a proposal related to the purchase of Greenland recently emerged within Trump's transition team. On the 8th (local time), Mike Collins, a Republican member of the House of Representatives from Georgia and a close associate of President-elect Trump, posted a message titled 'Project 2029' on his X (formerly Twitter) account along with a U.S. electoral district map. Greenland was marked as one of the U.S. electoral districts and colored red, indicating Republican support.

Newsweek reported, "The electoral map posted by Representative Collins is a composite of the U.S. electoral districts won by President-elect Trump with the addition of Greenland's map," adding, "It implies that if the Republican Party wins again in the 2028 presidential election, purchasing Greenland could become possible." Collins explained that he posted the content to attract attention online, but Newsweek noted that there is speculation about the possibility of the Trump second administration resuming purchase negotiations.

During his first term in August 2019, President-elect Trump sparked controversy by announcing that he was considering negotiations to buy Greenland. However, the Danish government stated it had no intention to sell, causing the Trump administration's plan to collapse. At the time, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said, "Greenland is not for sale. I strongly hope that the U.S. consideration of purchase is not serious," dismissing the possibility of a sale.

Nevertheless, it is known that the Trump first administration continued to explore various options for purchasing Greenland even after Denmark's refusal. In a 2020 interview with MSNBC, Miles Taylor, former Chief of Staff at the Department of Homeland Security, revealed, "Trump wanted to see if he could trade Puerto Rico for Greenland," indicating that President-elect Trump had considered multiple ways to acquire Greenland.

Three Attempts by the U.S. to Purchase Greenland... Will the Ukraine War Be a Game Changer?

AFP Yonhap News

Including President-elect Trump's attempt, the United States has historically tried to purchase Greenland three times. According to Voice of America (VOA), in 1867, then-Secretary of State William Seward, after purchasing Alaska from Russia, also proposed buying Greenland and Iceland. However, the plan was blocked by opposition in the U.S. Congress at the time.

After World War II ended and the Cold War with the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc began, the U.S. government sought to purchase Greenland to block Soviet invasions of the U.S. mainland from the North Sea and Arctic regions. In 1946, the U.S. government proposed buying Greenland from Denmark for $100 million, equivalent to about 800 trillion won in today's value, but Denmark rejected the offer. However, Denmark accepted the U.S. proposal in 1950 to build an airbase in Greenland, allowing the construction of Thule Air Base in 1953. This base currently serves as a NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) facility.

The reason U.S. administrations have attempted to purchase Greenland lies in Greenland's geopolitical significance between the U.S. and Russia. Since the outbreak of the Ukraine war in 2022, incidents of Russian submarines and warships illegally entering the Baltic Sea, where Denmark is located, as well as the Greenland area, have increased, significantly raising military tensions in the region.

Additionally, Greenland's vast natural resources are an advantage. Since the 2010s, when global warming caused a rapid decrease in ice volume, mining development has accelerated, and deposits of rare earth elements, copper, iron, zinc, platinum, as well as oil and gas reserves, have been discovered. Amid these circumstances, since 2008, Greenland's autonomous government has been moving toward independence from Denmark, increasing the likelihood of major powers such as the U.S., China, and Russia intervening in Greenland's sovereignty.