By Wang Mengjie
On March 29, local residents marched in Denmark's capital Copenhagen, holding signs that read "Greenland Not for Sale" and "America Go Away" to protest the US government's coveting of Greenland and the visit of US Vice President JD Vance to the island. It is a globally recognized fact that Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark. The US has openly and repeatedly provoked with its intentions to "seize the island," which fully exposed its hegemonic nature.
The US has long coveted Greenland. As early as 1946, then US President Harry S. Truman attempted to purchase the island from Denmark for $100 million. Recently, US politicians have frequently expressed their intention to seize control of Greenland, with some even suggesting the possibility of using military or economic coercion. In response, the Danish government has condemned it as absurd.
The main reason the US has set its sights on Greenland is the island's vast natural resources. According to the US Department of Energy, Greenland is one of the world's largest undeveloped oil reserves. Additionally, the island is rich in zinc, cryolite, uranium, and other valuable minerals. If the US were to acquire Greenland, it would gain access to the island's vast reserves of key minerals and fossil fuels, thus reducing its dependence on external sources for industrial materials such as rare earth elements.
The US seeks to acquire Greenland also in pursuit of an advantage in great power competition. About four-fifths of Greenland is located within the Arctic Circle, giving it significant geopolitical value. In recent years, many countries have intensified their efforts in the Arctic. The US has been active as well. For example, it has upgraded the air force base in northern Greenland, unilaterally declared an expansion of its sovereignty claims over large areas of the Arctic and Bering Sea continental shelf, and released the 2024 Arctic Strategy...For the US, controlling Greenland would not only greatly increase its territorial presence in the Arctic but also provide greater convenience and influence in developing Arctic resources. Furthermore, it would allow the island to serve as a forward base for interfering in European affairs and countering Russia.
For some time, the US has made a major issue out of the Greenland matter, which has provoked strong resistance from the parties involved. The Danish government has made it clear that national sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected and Greenland will never be sold to foreign powers. The Danish government also announced it would invest approximately $2 billion to strengthen its military presence in the Arctic and North Atlantic regions, demonstrating its determination to defend Greenland and maintain its status as an Arctic Circle country.
The US's expansionist tendencies and "America First" policy have exacerbated tensions with its allies. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU supports Denmark in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity, including Greenland. Norway, France, Germany, and other European countries have voiced opposition to the US's attempts to "seize the island," warning the US not to threaten the EU's sovereign borders.
The so-called "economic security needs" of the US cannot justify its pursuit of hegemonic diplomacy. Its attempt to seize Greenland through a power-politics approach will only push the security situation in the Arctic to the brink of danger and bring greater uncertainty to global peace and stability.
