After moon, planting US flag on Greenland?

If any US president would be expected to make a concerted effort to buy the world’s largest island — Greenland — it would surely be Donald Trump. This mother of all real estate deals is something that would be particularly attractive to the current incumbent of the White House, but he is by no means the first US President to eye that Danish outpost.

At least two of his predecessors had actively considered it but their efforts came to nought. Given his instinct to cut to the chase, an outright buy would certainly seem more sensible, and cheaper, than angling for sections on lease. He could well reason that if Harry Truman wanted to strike a bargain with Denmark for Greenland at $100 million in bullion back in 1946, he as a former real estate mogul should be able to swing it for a few billion dollars.

Of course, Greenlanders would beg to disagree even if more Danes might get greedy as the territory now costs its former colonial ruler some $700 million in subsidies.


Besides, US is quite used to buying territories, including hydrocarbon Alaska for a mere $7.2 million back in 1867 and, even earlier, the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 from France for $15 million. So rare earth-laden Greenland, so temptingly close to the US, is a no-brainer. When countries like China have also been buying land on faraway continents, Trump may not even be the only bidder for Greenland.