In offering to buy Greenland, US President Donald Trump is trying once again to disrupt the postwar Western order. What he is mainly interested in is geopolitical influence in the Arctic, writes DW's Oliver Sallet.
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Image: Getty Images/AFP/N. Kamm
The president of the United States is a well-known skeptic when it comes to man-made climate change. Nevertheless, the current ice melt in Greenland may be warming his heart. That's because beyond Greenland lies the Arctic, one of the few undeveloped regions of the world with great economic potential.
In offering to buy Greenland, it's obvious that what interests the president is its natural resources. Climate change and the melting of ice masses mean that these will soon be easier to access. Even Trump, the climate change denier, knows this — and he makes no bones about the fact that the US wants to be at the forefront of the race for the Arctic in future.
The world's Arctic countries include not only the US, Canada, Norway and Denmark, but also Trump's geopolitical rival, Russia. Even China, which doesn't actually have any Arctic territories, is unmistakably trying to justify its claim on the polar region, describing itself as a country "in close proximity" to the Arctic.
It's clear that this is about more than just a real estate deal. The race for natural resources and shipping routes reflects the changing geopolitical hierarchy of old and emergent hegemonies. Trump is interested in nothing less than American dominance in the Arctic — and for this he must compete with Russia and China.
In fact, the idea of making Greenland a US territory is by no means new. President Harry S. Truman tried it in 1946. From Louisiana to Alaska, the US has made huge and historic land purchases before. Why shouldn't "Make America Great Again" apply to Greenland, too, eventually?
Greenland is mostly covered in ice, barely populated, and not home to many modern amenities. But despite Donald Trump's reported best efforts, the autonomous Danish country is also very much not for sale.
Image: Imago Images/UIG
Record holder
Greenland holds a number of world records. It is the world's largest island, the least densely populated territory on Earth, and home to the only permanent ice sheet outside Antarctica. Most of its 56,000 residents are Inuit, descendants of those who migrated there from what is now Canada in the 13th century.
Image: Imago Images/UIG
Home rule
Greenland was granted home rule by Denmark in 1979. In 2008, Greenlanders voted in favor of an act that granted their government even more power. Before being a Danish territory, Greenland has also been under the Norwegian crown, and was even briefly claimed by Portuguese explorers in 1499.
Image: Reuters/L. Jackson
The North Pole
Seen here in the capital, Nuuk, where about one third of Greenlanders live, is "Santa's mailbox." Thousands of letters addressed to St.Nicolas were delivered here every around Christmas each year. Some volunteers even sent handwritten responses to as many children as they could, until the mailbox was forced to close in 2018.
Image: picture-alliance/Chromorange/T. Wenning
Melting ice
Greenlanders were among the first to feel the affects of climate change, both from rising sea levels and melting arctic ice. Recently, scientists recorded a massive ice melt on the island that hadn't been predicted to occur until 2070. If the all of Greenland's ice disappears, sea levels will rise 23 feet, destroying massive amounts of coastal areas worldwide.
Image: Getty Images/M. Tama
The mighty muskox
A sign in Greenland warns travels to be aware of passing muskoxen, famous for the intense odor sometimes by males. They are native only to Greenland, northern Canada, and Alaska. After centuries of declining populations due to overhunting, muskoxen have recently been making a comeback due to new hunting restrictions.
Image: DW/Irene Quaile
Tens of thousands of seals killed annually
Much of Greenland's economy is dependent on fishing. One controversial form of fishing that is still allowed is seal hunting, often done by shooting seals that are sitting on ice sheets. Although it is widely accepted that the killing of seals could lead to extinction and other disasters for the ecosystem, some rural Greelanders entirely depend on hunting seals for their livelihood.
Image: Inuit Sila
Alternative transportation
In some parts of Greenland, there are no roads, and locals must use dog sleds to get from village to village or to the sea. Snowmobiles must be important and are too expensive for many villagers.
Image: Henry Tenenbaum
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Trump is challenging the postwar order
Seven decades have passed since 1946 — and not only that. In the immediate aftermath of World War Two, the postwar world order, especially under US leadership, was still taking shape. Today, the West, including Denmark, is strongly linked with the US through their common membership in NATO. The military alliance was a guarantee of freedom and multilateralism.
Now, though, China is contesting America's position as a global power — and Trump is partly responsible for this. Ever since taking office, he has sought to weaken the foundations of the Western structure: pushing for the break-up of the European Union, questioning the point of NATO, cozying up to despots and shunning America's old partners in the West. Offering to buy the Danish territory may be a breach of taboo — but it corresponds to the worldview of this US president.
