President-elect Donald Trump has not dismissed the possibility of utilizing U.S. military forces to assert control over both the Panama Canal and Greenland if deemed necessary.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Trump stated he is “not going to commit to that” in response to inquiries about the potential deployment of American troops to secure either region.
“It’s possible that something might need to be done. The Panama Canal is essential for our country,” he asserted, further emphasizing, “we require Greenland for national security objectives.”
These remarks coincide with the unofficial visit of Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., who is currently in Greenland. Prior to the trip, Trump shared on his Truth Social media platform that he’s “hearing that the people of Greenland are ‘MAGA.’”
“Greenland is an amazing place, and its people would gain immensely if, and when, it becomes a part of our Nation. We will safeguard it and cherish it from a very hostile outside world,” he noted, using capital letters for emphasis.
Currently, Greenland operates as an autonomous territory of Denmark, a NATO member, and is home to around 60,000 inhabitants, complete with its own Prime Minister and parliament. When Trump first proposed purchasing Greenland in 2019, Denmark’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, labeled the idea as “absurd,” and in a Tuesday interview on Danish television, she reiterated that the island “belongs to the Greenlanders.”
Nevertheless, this isn’t the first instance of the U.S. considering the island as a potential American territory.
As noted by Maye Henning, a professor of politics and legal studies at Suffolk University, discussions regarding the acquisition of Greenland date back to the 1860s, during which then-Secretary of State William Seward contemplated acquiring Alaska from Russia. This topic resurfaced in 1917 when the U.S. did purchase territory from Denmark, notably the Virgin Islands.
“There is a historical precedent for this notion being discussed,” she remarked.
Despite this, Henning pointed out that Trump’s comments may come across as “very out of place,” particularly given that for most of the last century, the U.S. has refrained from territorial expansion in favor of allowing local populations to self-determine their futures.
Additionally, she noted that the U.S. hasn’t altered its territorial boundaries for eighty years, since the acquisition of the Mariana Islands.
“There are strong norms about the preservation of territory, along with robust principles in liberal democracy centered on the consent of the governed. Denmark has made it abundantly clear that they are not willing to sell Greenland, and my understanding is that the residents of Greenland are generally opposed to becoming part of the U.S.,” she stated.
Aside from purchasing the island or persuading its inhabitants to join the U.S., Henning indicated that the only way Trump might achieve his goal would be “through military action.”
“This could mean invasion and warfare to acquire Greenland. Such a scenario would indeed be unprecedented in the modern era,” she remarked.
There are strategic motivations for the U.S. to explore the acquisition of both the Panama Canal and Greenland, Henning added.
With climate change impacting Greenland’s glaciers, there is potential for development and resource extraction, as well as new shipping routes. Concurrently, the lake that supplies the Panama Canal’s locks is currently diminishing due to extended drought, limiting the number of vessels able to transit daily.
“Trump and other leaders view this arctic area as an alternative to the Panama Canal,” she explained.
Whether Trump will proceed with his intentions remains uncertain, according to the professor. In regards to Greenland, it’s worth considering whether he even needs to take the island, as the U.S. already funds its defense and maintains a significant military presence there.
“Why go through the effort to purchase all of Greenland or engage in conflict over it when we have existing legal frameworks for operations such as treaties or leasing arrangements?” she queried.
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