Trump's focus on Greenland ignites sense of defiance on isolated Arctic island

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Greenlanders to U.S.: We're not for merchantability

Inside Greenland: residents accidental they're not for sale, but they are unfastened for business 13:24

President Trump's absorption connected taking power of Greenland, a self-governing territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, has upset galore successful the Arctic.

Mr. Trump's Greenland fixation is violative to Aqqaluk Lynge, an elder Inuit statesman who erstwhile represented the Arctic colonisation astatine the United Nations. Around 57,000 radical unrecorded successful Greenland, a colonisation that's mostly Inuit, an indigenous Arctic radical of Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. Greenlanders person agreed down a mantra: we are not for sale, but we are unfastened for business. And Lynge offered up a defiant connection of his own.

"If you should effort thing successful the Arctic, you should beryllium precise careful," Lynge said. "I deliberation we should say, crystal is slippery."

U.S. involvement successful Greenland predates Trump

Greenland, archetypal settled by Viking adventurer Erik the Red astir 982, has been portion of the Danish Kingdom for astir 300 years, though its superior — Nuuk — sits person to New York than it does to Copenhagen.

The U.S. archetypal discussed acquiring the territory, situated betwixt North America and Europe, in the 1860s.

During the 2nd World War, aft Denmark was invaded by the Nazis, the U.S. was fixed power of Greenland. During that time, the U.S. built 17 subject bases connected the island. The astir significant, Bluie West One successful Narsarsuaq — located successful the southbound of the territory, was a important stopoff earlier D-Day. The basal was unopen down successful the 50s, but a subject depository celebrating America's beingness remains.

After the warfare ended, President Harry Truman tried to bargain Greenland for $100 million, seeing its determination and resources, including its affluent mineral deposits, arsenic beneficial to defence of the Americas. Denmark declined, but the 2 countries did motion a pact successful 1951, which was amended successful 2004 and inactive stands contiguous — and gives wide licence for the U.S. subject to run connected the island.

Why Trump is focusing connected Greenland: nationalist security, minerals

Mr. Trump archetypal eyed Greenland successful 2019. The Prime Minister of Denmark called the overtures "absurd." Since Mr. Trump has been re-elected, he's been persistent successful his tendency to get territory and has declined to instrumentality subject unit disconnected the table arsenic a means to bash so.

The medication maintains that it is indispensable for satellite information that Greenland becomes portion of the U.S. Today, the Pituffik Space Base, which Vice President JD Vance visited last month, figures critically successful U.S. anti-missile defense.

As crystal caps melt and the Arctic commercialized routes and caller oversea lanes go much important, U.S. control, the medication believes, would thwart Russia and China's presence successful the occidental hemisphere. Mr. Trump has derided Denmark for not being up to the occupation of staving disconnected imaginable threats.

"The routes are, you know, precise nonstop to Asia, to Russia, and you person ships each implicit the place. And we person to person protection. So, we're going to person to marque a woody connected that. And Denmark is not capable to bash that. You know, Denmark is precise acold distant and truly has thing to do," Mr. Trump said past month successful the Oval Office.

But governmental idiosyncratic and University of Copenhagen prof Ole Wæver questions the premise of Trump's assertive stance. He's unsure wherefore the Trump medication is trying to get Greenland erstwhile America has ever been truthful welcomed there.

"Bottom enactment is, the Americans are militarily connected Greenland arsenic overmuch arsenic they want," Wæver said.

If Mr. Trump said helium wanted to enactment up different basal successful Greenland, without buying, annexing oregon seizing the land, helium wouldn't get a no, Wæver said.

A increasing fig of radical fearfulness terrible repercussions if the U.S. acquires Greenland by force. It could rewrite the satellite of planetary relations if the U.S. annexes Greenland, Wæver said.

"It is conscionable a usurpation that is conscionable 1 span further than thing we person seen truthful far," Wæver said.

Apart from geo-strategy, the U.S. has offered different crushed for acquiring Greenland: the untapped minerals. Trump's interior ellipse portrays Greenland arsenic packed with commodities and earthy resources indispensable for the aboriginal satellite economy, specified arsenic gold, zinc and copper.

But getting entree to them, similar getting to thing other successful Greenland, is simply a ngo successful itself.

Eldur Ólafsson, CEO of Amaroq Minerals, invited 60 Minutes to sojourn Nalunaq golden mine—one of the 2 progressive mines successful Greenland. Mines crossed the territory person travel and gone implicit the centuries, mostly due to the fact that of the logistical challenges. With golden prices astatine all-time highs, Ólafsson estimates that with prudent readying and patience, determination is $150 cardinal a twelvemonth to beryllium made from Nalunaq.

There whitethorn beryllium golden successful Greenland, but geologists 60 Minutes consulted with, successful some the U.S. and Greenland, said that the committedness of a Greenland earthy assets jackpot is not the case. Plenty of countries — America included — person conscionable arsenic many, if not more, untapped minerals.

How Greenland is reacting

Mr. Trump's absorption connected acquiring Greenland has near its citizens scratching their heads, Wæver said.

When Mr. Trump archetypal expressed involvement successful Greenland, which has a past of welcoming the U.S., it fueled a tone of independence. It besides prompted locals to reassess their narration with Denmark, which pumps astir $800 cardinal a twelvemonth into Greenland's economy, but also, historically, imposed its values connected Inuit culture.

In the country's superior Nuuk, colonisation 20,000, thousands turned retired past period to show against U.S. plans to get Greenland.

"It's each wide that we basal together. No substance what governmental colour you have," Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen told 60 Minutes astatine the rally. "Greenland is for Greenlanders, not for anybody else."

Maliina Abelsen, a erstwhile concern curate and autochthonal Greenlander, described the narration betwixt Denmark and Greenland arsenic a forced marriage, astatine slightest connected Greenland's side. Mr. Trump expressing interest, she said, is similar "a person coming into the relationship."

"I deliberation that immoderate radical got a small attracted and they thought, 'Ooh, that could beryllium overmuch better. That person looks truthful affluent and powerful,'" she said, but added: "We person besides seen however our Inuit cousins unrecorded successful Alaska, and however they were treated."

It's not a roadworthy Greenland wants to spell down, she said. Per 1 caller poll, conscionable 6% of the section colonisation favors U.S. control.

The spotlight thrown onto her homeland has been overwhelming, Abelsen said.

"It's aggravated due to the fact that the full satellite bid is changing," she said.