The last time we reported on Greenland, a massive landslide in a Greenland fjord, caused by melting ice, triggered a surprising seismic event last year that shook the earth for nine days.
Notably back in 2019, then President Donald Trump wanted to persuade the country of Denmark to allow the United States to acquire the land.
As a reminder, Greenland is classified as a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. It was a Danish colony until 1953, when it became fully integrated into the Kingdom of Denmark under
Greenland gained home rule in 1979, allowing it to manage many internal affairs. This was further expanded in 2009 when Greenland achieved self-government, which included greater autonomy over local governance while Denmark retained control over foreign affairs, defense, and monetary policy.
It appears Trump has not forgot his aspirations to gain the mineral-rich lands for the US, as they is on the task list for the new Ambassador to Denmark.
…Trump named Ken Howery, a co-founder of PayPal, as his pick for U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark. Howery previously served as a U.S. ambassador to Sweden, and Trump wrote that he “served our National brilliantly” in that role.As a Co-Founder of PayPal and venture capital fund, Founders Fund, Ken turned American Innovation and Tech leadership into Global success stories, and that experience will be invaluable in representing us abroad,” Trump explained.”For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity…Thank you Ken, and congratulations!”
Americans are a little excited about this possibility.
There are many reasons such a sale would be a big win for this country.
First, Greenlanders are moving toward independence from Denmark. The 2009 Greenland Self-Government Act establishes significant autonomy for the island, including some leeway to conduct its own foreign affairs. Greenland’s February 2024 foreign, security and defense policy says independence is the ultimate objective. But Greenland is the least densely populated political entity in the world. If it separates from Denmark, it would be responsible for its own security, a task it is ill-equipped to handle.This is a grave concern given the second important development: Russia and China are threatening the status quo in the Arctic. Moscow has claimed significant chunks of the Arctic Sea, including inside Greenland’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Russian survey ships have encroached on Greenland’s waters, and Russia is expanding its Arctic bases and formidable icebreaker fleet. China has declared itself a “near-Arctic state,” established a shipping network called the “Polar Silk Road” to bind Arctic communities closer to Beijing’s economic and political agenda, and built its own fleet of icebreakers.Finally, Greenland is believed to have significant natural resources, including gold, silver, copper, oil, uranium and rare earth minerals. This is an opportunity for adversaries to exploit the resources with little regard for local communities or environmental concerns. An independent Greenland would be unable to resist coercive extraction of the kind practiced by China and Russia.The U.S. can offer an option that preserves Greenland’s sovereignty while protecting it from malign actors.
However, there is plenty of win for Denmark as well. The sale could bring a significant influx of money to the Scandinavian nation, potentially billions of dollars. Furthermore, Greenland has been an economic drain on Denmark, requiring ongoing financial support.
GDP per capita is close to the average for European economies, but the economy is critically dependent upon substantial support from the Danish government, which supplies about half the revenues of the self-rule government, which in turn employs 10,307 Greenlanders out of 25,620 currently in employment (2015). Unemployment nonetheless remains high, with the rest of the economy dependent upon demand for exports of shrimp and fish.
Denmark has consistently maintained that Greenland is not for sale, citing historical ties, national identity, and the rights of the Greenlandic people to self-determination. However, that is where Howery’s skills could come in useful.
Howery is a prominent American entrepreneur, investor, and former diplomat with a diverse and impressive career spanning technology, finance, and public service. He has a very successful stint as the Ambassador to Sweden.
I served as the US Ambassador to Sweden from Oct 2019 – Jan 2021. My priorities as ambassador included strengthening security and defense ties with Sweden to confront challenges posed by non-democratic regimes, deepening economic ties between our two countries including in technology and innovation, and building upon those pillars to connect people via artistic, cultural, and scientific programs and exchanges.
Howery might be able to persuade Denmark to allow Greenland enough self-determination to vote on the matter, while persuading Greenlanders to consider the benefits of such a sale.
If this sale happens, it would be truly Earth-shaking. Meanwhile, we can enjoy the memes:
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