‘Absolute necessity’: Trump’s plan to buy world’s largest island

US President-elect Donald Trump has renewed his interest in a massive project in an effort to strength his nation’s power across the globe.

Donald Trump has declared taking ownership of Greenland an “absolute necessity” once he takes office in January, as part of a bold plan to expand the US’ foothold across the globe.

The incoming US president made the comments on social media after announcing his pick for US ambassador to Denmark.

Greenland is an autonomous Danish territory with its own parliament, about 55,000 inhabitants, and a small pro-independence movement.

Located in the Arctic, Greenland is becoming increasingly significant due to climate change.

Melting ice caps are opening new shipping routes and creating opportunities for resource exploration.

Greenland also has abundant natural resources, including rare earth minerals, oil, gas, and other untapped resources that are vital for industries like technology and defence.

Now, Mr Trump wants the island under US control.

“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,” he wrote on Truth Social.

Mr Trump had his eyes set on Greenmark during his last term in office. Picture: AFP

Mr Trump expressed his interest in buying Greenland during his last term as President, cancelling a state trip to Denmark in 2019 after the country declared the island was not for sale.

On Tuesday, Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede was quick to shutdown Mr Trump’s renewed interest.

“Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom,” Mr Egede said in a statement.

The US however already has a foothold on the island.

Greenland is home to the US Thule Air Base, a critical component of US missile warning and space surveillance systems. Owning the island would potentially enhance US military capabilities in the region.

The artic is becoming hotly contested.

The Arctic is also becoming a contested area, with countries like Russia and China expanding their presence. Acquiring Greenland would strengthen US influence in the Arctic and counterbalance these powers.

This week, Mr Trump has ramped up his intentions to hit the ground running in January, declaring he also plans to regain control of the Panama Canal.

On Sunday, at a convention for young republicans – AmericaFest – the President-elect said the Panamanian authorities had not treated the US “fairly” since the nation ceded control in 1999.

The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean.

US President-elect Donald Trump speaks during the annual AmericaFest 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 22. Picture: AFP

Its shortcut greatly reduces the time for ships to travel between the oceans, enabling them to avoid the lengthy, hazardous route around the southernmost tip of South America.

“The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, highly unfair,” he said, adding when he becomes President, “this complete rip-off of our country will immediately stop”.

If shipping fees are not lowered, Mr Trump warned his administration “will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, quickly and without question”.

“We’re not going to stand for it. So to the officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly.”

If shipping fees are not lowered, Mr Trump warned his administration “will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, quickly and without question”.

Greenland has a population of about 55,000. Picture: iStock

“We’re not going to stand for it. So to the officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly.”

“The sovereignty and independence of our country is non-negotiable,” he said.

Is he serious? Trump stirs unease

With his Panama and Greenalnd plans, Mr Trump has the world guessing once again whether he is serious or not.

By challenging the sovereignty of some of Washington’s closest allies four weeks before he even returns to the Oval Office, the US-president elect has underscored his credentials as global disrupter-in-chief.

His comments have renewed fears from his first term that Trump will end up being harsher on US friends than he is on adversaries like Russia and China.

But there are also suspicions that billionaire tycoon Trump is looking for leverage as part of the “art of the deal” — and that the former reality television star is grabbing headlines to look strong at home and abroad.

“It’s hard to tell how much of this he really wants, and how much is the latest sound bite that will be heard around the world,” said Frank Sesno, a professor at George Washington University and former White House correspondent.

“He puts other leaders in position of having to figure out what is literal and what is not,” he told AFP.

The idea of buying Greenland is not a new one for Trump.

Yet his most headline-grabbing remarks have been on Panama, as he slammed what he called unfair fees for US ships passing through and threatened to demand control of the Panama Canal be returned to Washington.

The Panama Canal is a vital trading route.

Trump said on Sunday that if Panama did not agree “then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America — in full, quickly and without question.” He also hinted at China’s growing influence around the canal, which was built by the United States in 1914 to link the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It was returned to Panama under a 1977 deal.

Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino dismissed Trump’s threats, saying that “every square metre” of the canal would remain in Panamanian hands. Trump responded on TruthSocial: “We’ll see about that!” Trump also teased neighbouring Canada last week that it would be a “great idea” to become the 51st US state — but against a dark backdrop of threatened tariffs.

‘Message for China’

Sesno said it was hard for other countries to know how to deal with Trump’s comments.

“Well, it’s clearly a joke. Or is it?” said Sesno.

“Imagine if you’re the President of Panama, how do you react to something like that? You can’t ignore it and your country will not let you. So the ripple effect of these comments is extraordinary.”

Trump’s harsh treatment of US allies also stands in stark contrast to his repeated praise for the leaders of US foes — including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, who invaded Ukraine in 2022 in a bid for a land-grab.

But there is still likely to be method behind Trump’s rhetoric. “Maybe the message is for China” when Trump talks about buying Greenland, said Stephanie Pezard, senior political scientist with the Rand Corporation.

Just as Trump expressed concern about Beijing’s influence in Panama, China’s growing presence in the Arctic and its ties with Russia were “something that the US is really worried about,” Pezard told AFP.

But there could also be a signal to Denmark that ‘If you’re too friendly with China, you’ll find us in your way” — even though Denmark and Greenland had been “very good NATO allies.” And perhaps Trump knows the reality.

Any US plan to “buy” Greenland would be unfeasible “not just in international law but more broadly in the global order that the US has been trying to uphold,” she said.

— with AFP

Originally published as ‘Absolute necessity’: Trump’s plan to buy world’s largest island