
Once again, US President-elect Donald Trump has sparked international controversy with provocative comments about the acquisition of Greenland, restoring the Panama Canal, and jokingly suggesting the annexation of Canada. Trump has reignited his previously unsuccessful calls to buy Greenland from Denmark, heightening tensions with allied nations even before he officially takes office on January 20. The Danish government responded by promising the largest increase in defense spending for Greenland since Trump’s renewed Arctic campaign. region.
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen He told the BBCThe package was a “double-digit billion sum” in kroner, or at least $1.5 billion. He described the timing of the announcement as “ironic.” Trump said on Monday that ownership and control of the massive island was an “absolute necessity” for the United States.
Poulsen said the package would allow for the purchase of two new inspection ships, two new long-range drones and two additional dog sled teams.
This will also include funding to increase staffing at the Arctic Command in the capital, Nuuk, and upgrade one of Greenland’s three main civilian airports to handle F-35 supersonic fighter jets.
“We have not invested enough in the Arctic for many years, and now we are planning for a stronger presence,” he said.
The Defense Minister did not give a specific figure for the package, but Danish media estimated it to be between 12 and 15 billion kroner.
The announcement came a day after Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social: “For the purposes of national security and freedom throughout the world, the United States of America feels that ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”
Greenland’s Prime Minister Miot Egedy responded to Trump’s statements, saying, “We are not for sale.”
What is Greenland and what is its territorial status?
Greenland, the world’s largest island, is an autonomous region within the Kingdom of Denmark. This means that it has its own government and manages most of its internal affairs, but Denmark handles defense and foreign policy. Located between the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, Greenland is of great geopolitical importance, especially for the United States due to its strategic location on the shortest air route between North America and Europe. The island is also home to Thule Air Base, an important US military facility. Greenland has vast natural resources, including significant mineral deposits and a growing interest in renewable energy sources due to abundant wind and hydroelectric potential.