Donald Trump has expressed his interest to purchase Greenland and make it part of the US Photo: Mads Madsen Arctic Creative Donald Trump has expressed his interest to purchase Greenland and make it part of the US Photo: Mads Madsen Arctic Creative

US President Donald Trump has made more than a few controversial remarks since he took office, amongst them being the assertion that America’s control over Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, is an “absolute necessity”.

Trump’s comments earlier this month prompted a strong response from Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede, who said, “We don’t want to be Danes, we don’t want to be Americans — we want to be Greenlanders.” Trump made similar comments about Greenland in 2019.

Denmark's Colonisation of Greenland

Greenland has a complex colonial legacy. For many in Greenland, Trump’s statementbrings the island’s colonial past forward. The country was under Denmark’s thumb after 1721, a colonial baggage it is still reckoning with.

Greenland’s colonial phase began in 1721 when Danish-Norwegian priest Hans Egede established a mission, and started trading activities near the capital, Nuuk.

This colonial dominance petered out in the mid-nineteenth century.

Colonial governance manifested in brazen heirarchies in rights and opportunities for Danes and Greenlanders. Danes took over powerful job positions. Greenlanders were subject to a less formal framework, unlike Danes, who came under, and governed by the Danish law. Additionally, Greenlanders were excluded from voting in elections for the Danish parliament, even though the parliament held political authority over Greenland. Additionally, colonial authorities also had influence over newspapers in Greenland, which meant they contained public discourse.

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Second World War

Denmark came under German occupation during the Second World War. In the meantime, Greenland’s administration was overseen by Danish officials based in the United States, and Greenland itself. Initially, the United States decided to be cautious. Secretly, it discouraged Britain and Canada from occupying the island. For the Danes, securing American goodwill was essential, because the US was a crucial ally in the fight against Germany.

In early 1941, humungous amounts of pressure from Britain and Canada to establish a military base in Greenland propelled the United States to take action. This pressure resulted in an agreement between Denmark and the US, signed on April 9, 1941, which authorised America to construct bases which would be essential for Greenland’s defence.

This agreement insisted on Danish sovereignty over both Greenland and the bases,66jogo the United States retained jurisdiction over the bases it operated.

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By the end of the second world war, the United States established 17 stations across Greenland. This also included four air bases. These developments ended Greenland’s isolation, and allowed it be an active and assertive presence in geo-politics.

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How Greenland Became Autonomous

Greenland’s journey towards autonomy began in 1953. Greenland, after a point, shifted from a traditional hunting society, to a wage-earning one with imported goods and products.

The influx of Danes during this period caused a demographic shift. The Danish was less than 3 per cent in the 1940s, but it grew to a substantial 20 per cent by the 1970s. This contributed to a growing sense of insecurity among Greenlanders. By the 1970s, calls for Home Rule and greater self-determination gained urgent momentum.

This political awakening resulted in the Greenland Home Rule Act of 1979, which formalised a transfer of authority over most public sectors to Greenland, though Denmark retained control of foreign affairs, defence, and finance.

Greenland's Complicated Present

Greenland adopted its own national flag on June 21, 1985 — the sun flag. In 2009, Greenland achieved another layer of autonomy under the Self-Government Act.

This act built upon the limited sovereignty established in 1979, granting Greenland control over additional policy areas. But, Denmark still retains authority over foreign policy and security, and consistently providesfinancial grants.

The melting ice, likely due to climate crisis, has enhanced accessibility to the Arctic. Due to this1xcassino, global interest in Greenland’s resources like oil, minerals, and energy potential has increased. It explains Trump’s recentinterest in the island, leading him to make his latest controversial statement: “We [the US] need Greenland for national security purposes.”