Who really owns Greenland?

 With President Trump's renewed push to obtain Greenland from Denmark back in the news, it's worth looking into the history of the place to understand who really owns it, given the unusual move from Washington.

I live in Denmark, and know the place, so consider this backstory:

Prior to the year 985 A.D., the Inuit peoples inhabited the island of Greenland and had done so for about 2,500 years.

Then, in 985, the famous Norse Viking Erik the Red established colonies/settlements in the southern part of the country (which lasted until the 15th century). The settlements were tied to the Kingdom of Norway, making Norway the first non-Inuit "owner." It is important to note that the Norwegians only claimed ownership, but not full control, of the island.

In 1261, Norse Greenland settlers who numbered between 2,000 and 3,000 accepted Norwegian sovereignty, making this date important as the first European claim to the land.

One hundred and nineteen years later, Norway entered into a dynastic union with Denmark (a dynastic union is a political arrangement in which two or more separate states are ruled by the same monarch, because the ruler belongs to the same royal dynasty — usually through inheritance, marriage, or election, the key point being that the states remain legally separate, but share one ruler).

In 1536, Norway became subordinate to Denmark. From this point on, Greenland was administered by Denmark as part of the Denmark–Norway monarchy. Nearly two centuries passed when, in 1721, Denmark (which was now the Kingdom of Denmark and Norway) decided to re-established a permanent colonial presence there. This formed the basis for later international recognition.

Then the Napoleonic Wars happened in the beginning of the 19th century.

The British, who were worried that Napoleon might seize the Danish navy, bombarded it and destroyed it.

Denmark could no longer protect its trade and Britain became a direct enemy. Sweden at the time was also hostile, so the Danes threw in with the French, which turned out to be a big mistake.

In 1813, Denmark was on the losing French side and Denmark lost Sweden as an ally, as it had switched to the anti-Napoleonic coalition. Subsequently, Denmark was punished at the peace table which led to the Treaty of Kiel.

In this treaty, Denmark was forced to give up Norway, but was able to retain Greenland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands, which became the new Kingdom of Denmark.

Greenland's legal status had changed to become a direct Danish possession, administered from Copenhagen. Norway lost out, too. It came under Swedish control. The bottom line was that Denmark had full sovereignty over Greenland.

During the nineteenth century, no European power ever challenged Denmark's claim to Greenland (Norway did raise a bit of a fuss but nothing came of it). Denmark's sovereignty had become settled international law.

In 1953, Greenland ceased to be a colony and became an integral part of Denmark under a revised Danish constitution.

Greenlanders became Danish citizens. They gained representation in the Danish parliament, and colonial status was formally abolished. Decisions were still made in Copenhagen, and the Danish language and Danish institutions dominated. Policies were largely top-down ones. This period is often called “integration without self-determination.”

The 1960s and 1970s were years of much criticism and "political awakening." Greenlandic political consciousness grew as did indigenous rights movements.

Fast forward to 1979. Greenland gained "home rule" and was able to be in control of much of its domestic needs (although needing Denmark's money to pay for them). It did not have control over foreign policy, defense, currency, or supreme court authority.

In 2009, Greenland took a big step when it adopted "self-government" which in practical terms meant that Greenlanders were now recognized as a people under international law; Greenlandic became the official language and the Greenland people now had partial control over their courts and policing and their natural resources. Most importantly, it had gained the legal right to independence, should it choose to exercise it.

What was the U.S. role in Greenland?

In 1940, Denmark was occupied by the Nazis. Fearing that Greenland would fall under German control, the U.S. assumed "responsibility" for Greenland's defense with the Danish government in exile in Washington, D.C. 

The U.S. did not, however, assume sovereignty over the island. 

Eleven years later, Denmark and the U.S. signed the Denmark Defense Agreement. This agreement preserved Danish sovereignty and gave the U.S. military access. The United States was able to build and operate military bases; station troops and equipment; construct radar and early-warning systems; and operate with limited Danish oversight on base territory. The most visible physical presence was the Thule Air Base (now Pituffik Space Base).

So what is next?

That is the big question. It is anyone's guess as to what the Trump administration will do with its now public "need" to "have" Greenland. One thing is for certain, however, and that is, if the U.S. chooses to somehow invade the country and claim control of it, many decades of friendship with the Danish people will suffer.

Additionally, the U.S. could also be seen as a true imperialist nation, willing to ignore international norms, treaties and the rule of law. And that is not a good look for the country that proclaims itself to be a defender of freedom and champion of justice.

Stephen Helgesen is a retired American diplomat specializing in international trade. He has lived and worked in 30 countries over the course of 25 years under the Reagan, G.H.W. Bush, Clinton, and G.W. Bush administrations. He is the author of fourteen books, seven of them on American politics, and has written more than 1,500 articles on politics, economics, and social trends. He now lives in Denmark and is a frequent political commentator in Danish media. He can be reached at: stephenhelgesen@gmail.com

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/01/who_really_owns_greenland.html