Will Trump take over? Trump says that acquiring Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, will “protect the free world". But Europe, and Greenlanders themselves, stand in his way.
Struggle for Greenland turns surreal
Will Trump take over? Trump says that acquiring Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, will "protect the free world". But Europe, and Greenlanders themselves, stand in his way.
Miles upon miles of icy tundraOne third of the Earth's soil-bound carbon is in these treeless arctic regions. As global warming melts the permafrost, this carbon escapes as CO2 and methane. and imposing glaciersA slowly moving mass of ice formed by snow building up on mountains. . Polar bears roaming the coastlines. Summers that never see darkness, and winters that never see light.
Beautiful, and also somehow terrifying. For much of history, GreenlandAn island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It lies between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is the world's largest island. has been isolated. It rarely makes the headlines.
Now, the icy island is at the centre of a news firestorm. US president Donald Trump has become increasingly fixated on acquiring the territory, a country within the kingdom of DenmarkA country in Northern Europe. It is where Lego was first invented., since he was re-elected.
A new poll showed that Greenlanders overwhelmingly reject the proposal, with 85% saying they do not want their island to become a part of the United States.1
Trump has refused to rule out using military force to take Greenland. Meanwhile, the EUEuropean Union. An economic and political union of 27 countries. has spoken out against the use of force to shift borders and said that the future of Greenland is up to Greenlanders.
"Greenland is not for sale," says Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen.
Greenland is large, larger than any individual American state, but has a population of just 56,000 and a small GDPShort for Gross Domestic Product, the measure of all the goods and services produced inside a country.. It relies heavily on aidHelp or support. from Denmark. It might seem economically insignificant.
But circumstances have made this territory strategically vital. It is located in a tactically important position, between Russia and America. It has a vast amount of valuable mineral wealth.
It also has giant oil and gas reserves. An assessment by the US Geological Survey found that Greenland could yield 52 billion barrels of oil, or 3% of the world's proven resources.
Greenland's resources have historically been hard to mine. Most of the island is covered in ice. But as the climate warms and the ice melts, it seems increasingly possible to extractRemove or take out, especially by effort or force. this wealth of natural resources.2
But many say it is a travestyA fake and offensive representation of something. Travesty descends from the French verb travestir, meaning to disguise.. AncestralBelonging to ancestors, the people we are related to who lived before us. land is not to be bought and sold any more than the lives of the people living on that land. And it is certainly not to be conquered.
Will Trump take over?
Yes: Trump has made his ambitions clear. Claiming Greenland by any means necessary was a headline commitment of his second term and he will not allow himself to fail. He will stop at nothing to get this done.
No: Trump's claims should not be taken seriously. He has promised to expand a vast US empire as part of his quest to "make America great again". But it will alienateMake someone feel disconnected or isolated. key allies and is not a realistic strategy.
Or... Rather than thinking about this specific acquisition, we should view this as part of a general, worrying trend in the 21st Century towards expansionismThe belief that a country should grow by taking over new territory. .
Tundra - One third of the Earth's soil-bound carbon is in these treeless arctic regions. As global warming melts the permafrost, this carbon escapes as CO2 and methane.
Glaciers - A slowly moving mass of ice formed by snow building up on mountains.
Greenland - An island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It lies between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is the world's largest island.
Denmark - A country in Northern Europe. It is where Lego was first invented.
EU - European Union. An economic and political union of 27 countries.
GDP - Short for Gross Domestic Product, the measure of all the goods and services produced inside a country.
Aid - Help or support.
Extract - Remove or take out, especially by effort or force.
Travesty - A fake and offensive representation of something. Travesty descends from the French verb travestir, meaning to disguise.
Ancestral - Belonging to ancestors, the people we are related to who lived before us.
Alienate - Make someone feel disconnected or isolated.
Expansionism - The belief that a country should grow by taking over new territory.
Struggle for Greenland turns surreal

Glossary
Tundra - One third of the Earth's soil-bound carbon is in these treeless arctic regions. As global warming melts the permafrost, this carbon escapes as CO2 and methane.
Glaciers - A slowly moving mass of ice formed by snow building up on mountains.
Greenland - An island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It lies between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is the world's largest island.
Denmark - A country in Northern Europe. It is where Lego was first invented.
EU - European Union. An economic and political union of 27 countries.
GDP - Short for Gross Domestic Product, the measure of all the goods and services produced inside a country.
Aid - Help or support.
Extract - Remove or take out, especially by effort or force.
Travesty - A fake and offensive representation of something. Travesty descends from the French verb travestir, meaning to disguise.
Ancestral - Belonging to ancestors, the people we are related to who lived before us.
Alienate - Make someone feel disconnected or isolated.
Expansionism - The belief that a country should grow by taking over new territory.