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Why does Trump actually want Greenland?
"He probably thinks Greenland is bigger than it is", says a researcher.
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Donald Trump wants Greenland. And by doing so, he wants to take someone else's land. Greenland belongs to Denmark, but mostly governs itself.
But why does he want Greenland?
"One can imagine that there are reasons," says Benjamin de Carvalho. "But they make very little sense."
He is a researcher at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI).
Has he misunderstood?
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First of all, the researcher believes that Donald Trump may be mistaken about Greenland's size.
"He probably thinks Greenland is bigger than it is," says de Carvalho.
That misconception likely applies to many of us. Because if you look at a typical world map, Greenland and Africa appear nearly the same size. This does not match reality.
The Earth is round like a ball. When we make maps, we have to pretend that this ball is completely flat. It's similar to deflating a ball and pressing it flat on a table. That process inevitably stretches and compresses parts of it.
"And the closer you get to the poles, at the top and bottom of the map, the more the areas are stretched," the researcher explains.
Three reasons
But size is not the only thing that matters to Trump. De Carvalho points to three other possible reasons why the American president wants Greenland.
1. Security: Trump believes that Greenland is important for US security. American soldiers, planes, and equipment are already stationed there to defend the area if war breaks out. Greenland lies far north in the Arctic, a region closely monitored by other superpowers, such as Russia and China.
2. Important metals and minerals: Greenland has nickel, copper, cobalt, and lithium in the ground. These can be used to make mobile phones, electric cars, and other technology. Because we rely on them, they are valuable – and that can be tempting for the United States.
3. Power and status: "Trump wants to be admired and to appear important," says de Carvalho. Owning territory gives power.
Not good reasons
"Even if Trump thinks these are good reasons, they're not," says de Carvalho.
When it comes to security, the US already has a military base in Greenland, complete with soldiers, aircraft, and equipment.
"And they could have expanded their presence there today if they wanted to," says the researcher.
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The United States and Greenland already have a defence agreement that allows this.
"Instead, the Americans have reduced their single base over the past 20 years. They no longer see it as especially necessary," he says.
"Power and prestige"
As for minerals and battery metals, the researcher believes the Americans likely would have been allowed to extract them anyway.
Greenland does not currently have the technology to do this on its own and would probably welcome outside assistance, the researcher believes.
But regardless: It's not certain that these minerals would result in either batteries or profits.
Per Kalvig has researched Greenland's minerals for over 40 years. He and other experts are uncertain about how easy extraction would be.
"There's no solid evidence," he told the online newspaper E24 (link in Norwegian).
"That leaves us with the desire for power and prestige," says de Carvalho.
"Ends up as a bully"
If Trump seeks to take other people's territory simply to be 'king of the hill,' the researcher is clear:
"He ends up as a bully. And that doesn't bring status," says de Carvalho.
In the long run, it likely won't bring power either.
"Trump and the US could develop a bad reputation, which can be damaging over time. It leads to fewer friends and less cooperation. It becomes much harder to get others to trust you," he says.
To keep getting his way, Trump would then have to rely on force to obtain other things as well.
"Cooperation will always be smarter"
Researcher Sigurd Hilde has told Science Norway that Trump's interest in Greenland may make him more popular among some Americans.
De Carvalho argues that Trump must think about the rest of the world as well.
"Cooperation will always be smarter than threatening your way to what you want," he says.
He points out that the president often boasts that he is good at making deals.
"But who will make agreements with the United States if there's a risk that he'll simply ignore them afterwards?" he asks.
Countries around the world have agreed that it is illegal to take other nations’ territory. According to the UN Charter, states have the right to self-determination and must not be ruled against their will.
In addition, countries including Norway, the US, and Greenland have agreed to support one another if a country is attacked. This agreement is called the North Atlantic Treaty.
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Translated by Alette Bjordal Gjellesvik
Read the Norwegian version of this article on ung.forskning.no
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