Greenland leaders say they WILL enter negotiations with Trump as Denmark’s private messages come to light
Greenland’s leader, Múte Egede, has expressed his willingness to enter into negotiations with newly elected President Trump – although it will not be about the possibility of the Americans gaining control of the country.
Instead, discussions would focus on the future of the mineral-rich Arctic region, with a clear emphasis on the fact that Greenland’s people have no interest in becoming Americans.
At a news conference in Denmark, which has nominal sovereignty over Greenland, Egede acknowledged Greenland’s strategic importance to the US on Friday and said he was open to discussing areas of mutual interest.
Although he has not yet spoken to Trump, Egede said: “We are ready to talk. Collaboration is based on dialogue and finding solutions together.’
Egede was accompanied at the press conference by the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen.
The event comes amid a Axios report that officials in Denmark also communicated privately with Trump’s team ahead of his inauguration.
The secret communiqués reportedly demonstrate the country’s willingness to explore how to address U.S. security interests without transferring formal sovereignty over Greenland.
Greenland, a former colony of Denmark since the 18th century, became a self-governing Danish territory in 1953.
Greenland’s leader Múte Egede expressed his willingness to enter into negotiations with newly elected President Trump
In August 2019, reports that Trump was considering buying Greenland prompted swift rejection from political leaders in Greenland and Denmark, with some calling the idea “completely ridiculous” or a “joke.”
Egede recognized Greenland’s strategic importance to the US and expressed his willingness to explore areas of mutual interest
The island was given the right to declare independence through a public vote in 2009 – a move Egede strongly supports.
“We have a desire for independence, a desire to be the masters of our own home… This is something that everyone should respect,” he said. ‘Greenland is for the Greenlandic people. We don’t want to be Danish, we don’t want to be American. We want to be Greenlandic.’
Greenland’s importance has increased in recent years as melting Arctic ice opens new shipping routes, creating competition among world powers for influence in the strategically located region between the US and Russia. The area and surrounding waters are also rich in valuable natural resources.
Currently, Denmark retains responsibility for the defense of Greenland.
The president-elect originally floated the idea of acquiring Greenland during his first term when he discussed the prospect with his senior advisers in 2019. But he left office without making any move toward acquiring the territory.
Now, with less than two weeks before he begins a second term, Trump is revisiting his idea — and his son Donald Trump Jr. traveled to Nuuk, Greenland, on Tuesday with other “representatives” of the incoming US president.
At the time, former President Trump shared the following on Truth Social: “Don Jr. and my representatives land in Greenland. The welcome was great. They, and the Free World, need safety, security, strength and PEACE! This is a deal that has to happen. MAGA. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!’
During the visit, Don Jr. stopped by. at a local eatery in Nuuk, Greenland, where he met with community members and put his father on speakerphone to speak directly to residents.
With an area of 836,000 square kilometers, Greenland is a sparsely populated Arctic autonomous region of Denmark. Comparing it to the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1967, it can be estimated that the total price of Greenland would be around $230.25 million – although it is unlikely that the same measures would be used to determine its value.
Donald Trump Jr. visited Greenland on Tuesday with three close Trump allies for what was initially sold as a “personal” trip. It soon became clear that his intention was to further his father’s intention to purchase the Arctic territory
During the phone call, Trump noted, “I just want to say it’s a very special place. The country needs security for itself, but also for the world,” Trump said on the phone.
Several politicians, including Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, sent a clear message to Trump: “Greenland is not for sale.”
Her comments prompted Trump to cancel a planned state visit to Denmark on August 20, 2019.
But if it were, how much would it cost the US?
Some have said that the best comparison is the American purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867.
Both Alaska and Greenland have cold, arctic climates, similarly sparse population densities, strategic geographic locations, and a wealth of oil reserves.
The US bought Alaska, which covers 586,412 square miles, for $7.2 million. In today’s dollars, that amounts to about $153.5 million.
At 836,000 square kilometers, Greenland is about 150 percent the size of Alaska. So increasing that price by 50 percent would bring the total to about $230.25 million.
When examining previous considerations for purchasing Greenland, history offers some intriguing comparisons. In 1946, the US proposed buying the Arctic island for $100 million in gold, an amount that would amount to more than $1.6 billion today.
Despite this valuation, both figures lag behind Greenland’s gross domestic product, which stood at $3.24 billion in 2021.
For further context, the US bought the US Virgin Islands from Denmark in 1917 for $25 million worth of gold, equivalent to about $616.2 million today.
The Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803 cost $15 million, about $418.8 million in today’s terms. These historic transactions highlight the uncertainty over how much a purchase of Greenland could cost, should such a deal ever be pursued.
The logistics of such a transaction remain complex. Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress must approve any appropriation of funds for land acquisition.
Even with a supportive Congress, it is unclear whether they would support such a proposal.
When reports surfaced in August 2019 that then-President Trump was considering purchasing Greenland, political leaders in both Greenland and Denmark quickly rejected the idea. Some dismissed it as ‘completely ridiculous’ or a ‘joke’.