Greenlanders explore Pacific Islands’ relationship with Washington

WASHINGTON — 

Greenland’s typical successful the United States met precocious with astatine slightest 1 ambassador from the Pacific Islands to larn much astir a governmental statement that immoderate deliberation could make an accidental for the Arctic land and Washington, VOA has learned.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his involvement successful either buying oregon taking power of Greenland, a resource-rich semiautonomous territory of Denmark, noting its strategical value and presumption successful the Arctic Ocean wherever Russia and China are rapidly advancing. But determination has been pushback from the island’s residents, governmental leaders, Denmark and Europe.

Greenland representatives person declined to remark to VOA connected their gathering that focused connected a model that Pacific Island nations person with Washington — known arsenic the Compacts of Free Association, oregon COFA. The compacts springiness the United States subject entree to 3 strategical Pacific Islands — the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau — successful speech for economical aid.

Jackson Soram, ambassador to the United States from the Federated States of Micronesia, told VOA that the discussions took spot astatine the extremity of January and focused connected "basic questions" connected the "provisions of economical assistance, and besides the information and defence provisions of the compacts."

Soram said helium met with representatives from Greenland and the Faroe Islands, different self-ruled Danish territory.

Alexander Gray, a erstwhile National Security Council main of unit during the archetypal Trump medication who worked connected Pacific Island issues, told VOA helium encouraged the Pacific Islands’ ambassadors to behaviour these meetings.

"[The Greenlanders] privation independency from Denmark," Gray, who is present a managing spouse of American Global Strategies, said successful an emailed response. "An autarkic Greenland, with a tiny colonisation and the second-least densely populated geography connected the planet, volition rapidly go dominated and its sovereignty undermined by Beijing and Moscow."

Russia has been reopening bases successful the portion adjacent arsenic Beijing has invested much than $90 cardinal successful infrastructure projects successful the Arctic Circle. Both the United States and Denmark person subject bases successful Greenland.

Gray said arctic dominance by Moscow and Beijing poses "a unsocial strategical threat" to the United States. He said a COFA "would let Greenland to support its sovereignty, portion allowing the U.S. to guarantee that sovereignty is genuinely protected."

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has repeatedly told Trump that Greenland is "not for sale." But Monday, she said Copenhagen welcomes further U.S. subject concern successful the strategical island.

"So, if this is astir securing our portion of the world, we tin find a mode forward," she said.

US-Greenland defence agreement

Some analysts accidental that neither Washington nor Nuuk needs a COFA statement to summation the U.S. subject beingness successful Greenland. In 2004, the United States, Greenland and Denmark signed the Igaliku Agreement to trim the U.S. subject beingness successful Greenland to a azygous aerial base, the Thule Air Base, which has been renamed Pitfuffik Space Base. It provides Washington with rocket defence and abstraction surveillance.

The 2004 statement provides for "any important changes to U.S. subject operations oregon facilities" successful Greenland to beryllium made done consultation betwixt Washington, Nuuk and Copenhagen.

"Washington tin already execute its objectives done moving with Greenland and Denmark," Otto Svendsen, an subordinate chap astatine the Center for Strategic and International Studies, wrote past period connected CSIS’s website.

A Danish Institute for International Studies argumentation little successful 2022 pointed retired that COFA has created economical dependence betwixt the Marshall Islands and the United States, arsenic U.S. donor wealth makes up 70% of the Marshall Islands’ full GDP. This is the other of what Greenland’s leaders accidental they want.

Search for independence

A 2009 instrumentality called the Act connected Greenland Self-Government outlines a "road map" —-drawn up by Nuuk and Copenhagen — for an autarkic Greenland, which requires a palmy referendum.

In his New Year’s address, Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede said, "The upcoming caller predetermination play must, unneurotic with the citizens, make these caller steps," opening the doorway for a referendum during parliamentary elections successful April.

A 2019 survey suggested that much than two-thirds of Greenlanders privation independency astatine immoderate point. Yet successful a canvass released successful January by 2 newspapers successful Denmark and Greenland, 85% accidental they bash not privation to beryllium portion of the United States. Fifty-five percent, however, spot Trump’s involvement successful Greenland arsenic an opportunity.

Gray told VOA that the U.S., Denmark and Greenland should participate trilateral discussions for a compact.

"Working together, Washington, Copenhagen, and Nuuk tin find communal crushed and determination guardant connected a post-independence statement that works for each parties," helium said successful an emailed response.

As acold backmost arsenic 2010, Greenland told the United Nations it was exploring the thought of negotiating independency done a "free association" with Denmark.

Egede said helium is acceptable to conscionable with Trump, but, "We bash not privation to beryllium Danes. We bash not privation to beryllium Americans."

Soram said helium is trying to get ambassadors from Palau and the Marshall Islands to be further meetings with Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Denmark.