The Arctic island of Greenland dominates discourse thanks to Donald Trump’s audacious pursuit. Over recent weeks, his public overtures to buy it have furrowed brows worldwide, aiming to supersize the US land area beyond Canada’s, securing runner-up status to Russia.
Why the obsession? Beyond 836,000 square miles of frozen terrain and sparse population, Greenland promises strategic supremacy: control over emerging sea passages, rare minerals for green tech, and frontline defense in the melting North. US bases there already signal commitment; absorption would elevate it to core territory.
This echoes storied expansions. Alaska’s 1867 acquisition was transformative. Polk’s presidency exploded borders via Texas annexation and Mexican War victories, embodying ‘Manifest Destiny’s’ divine mandate to Pacific shores. McKinley extended reach abroad, grabbing Pacific and Caribbean outposts post-1898 war, despite anti-colonial pushback—and Trump reveres his tariff tactics.
Yet, feasibility falters in 2024. ‘Not for sale,’ retort Danish and Greenlandic officials, invoking self-rule and global law. No unilateral buyout thrives without indigenous buy-in and multilateral nods. Trump’s flair ignites vital conversations on US primacy, resource wars, and historical echoes in contemporary strategy.
In a rivalrous Arctic, his push probes limits of power. It may not materialize, but it reaffirms territory as timeless leverage, blending nostalgia with realpolitik.