CAN YOU BUY GREENLAND, AN OVERSEAS TERRITORY OF THE KINGDOM OF DENMARK?

Abstract

Is it possible to buy Greenland which is an overseas territory of the Kingdom of Denmark? The answer to this question is not simple. The question is not a joke. In the past, there was no shortage of ideas and attempts to buy Greenland. The customer in this transaction was the United States of America. It would not be the first territorial purchase made by the USA from the Kingdom of Denmark. During the First World War in 1917, the USA bought from Denmark the so-called Danish West Indies - which is part of today’s Virgin Islands. The US has considered buying the world’s largest island on several occasions. The first such plans appeared in the 19th century. In 1946, President Harry Truman unsuccessfully made an offer to Denmark to buy Greenland for 100 million dollars at that time. The administration of President Donald Trump also deliberates on this issue. The economic (and possibly military) activity of Russia and China forces the USA to be particularly interested in this island. America has military bases in Greenland and is bound by the 1951 treaty together with Denmark to defend it. The US must pursue an active policy in this region of the Arctic, preventing the American continent from being flanked from the east by competing (if not hostile) superpowers. In the opinion of lawyers, the prevailing opinion is that land purchases are a long practice established in history and well-established in international law. This practice, however, may be contrary to the will of the inhabitants of the lands being sold or purchased. In the case of Greenland, apart from issues related to broadly understood human rights, the degree of autonomy enjoyed by this island additionally prevents such transactions. The Greenlanders themselves strive for independence.