It sounds like a plot point from a satirical political thriller or a weird fever dream from the 19th-century era of Manifest Destiny. Yet, every few years, the question bubbles up into the global news cycle: can the US buy Greenland? Most people remember when Donald Trump brought it up in 2019, sparking a diplomatic spat that led to a canceled state visit to Denmark. The Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, called the idea "absurd," and the Greenlandic government essentially told Washington they were open for business, but not for sale.
But here is the thing. History is rarely as simple as a "no" on Twitter.
While the modern consensus is that sovereign nations don't just trade inhabited land like baseball cards anymore, the United States has actually tried to pull this off multiple times. It isn't just a random whim. It's a calculated, century-long obsession with the Arctic. Greenland is huge. It's roughly 836,000 square miles of ice, rock, and untapped potential.
A Long History of Asking Nicely (and Not So Nicely)
The US didn't start thinking about this yesterday.
Back in 1867, the same year William H. Seward orchestrated the purchase of Alaska—which people also called "Seward's Folly" at the time—the State Department was already eyeing Greenland and Iceland. They saw them as vital stepping stones for trade and naval power. Then, in 1946, Harry Truman’s administration took it a step further. They actually made an official offer to Denmark: $100 million in gold.
Denmark said no.
Why does the US keep asking? It's about geography. If you look at a polar projection map instead of a standard Mercator map, you'll see that Greenland sits right in the middle of the shortest flight paths between North America and Northern Europe or Russia. During the Cold War, this made it the ultimate "unsinkable aircraft carrier." This is why Thule Air Base (now Pituffik Space Base) exists. It’s the US Space Force’s northernmost installation, providing early warning for intercontinental ballistic missiles.
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The Sovereignty Problem: Why It’s Not Just Up to Denmark
If you're wondering can the US buy Greenland today, you have to look at the 2009 Act on Greenland Self-Government. This changed the game entirely. Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, but it’s an autonomous territory. They have their own parliament and they control most of their domestic affairs, including their massive mineral resources.
Denmark only handles foreign policy, defense, and the "block grant"—a massive annual subsidy of about $600 million that keeps the Greenlandic economy afloat.
Here’s the catch: the 2009 Act explicitly states that the people of Greenland have the right to self-determination. If Greenland wants to leave Denmark, they can. But they can't be "sold" by Copenhagen because the land belongs to the 56,000 people living there, most of whom are Inuit. For the US to "buy" Greenland, it wouldn't be a transaction between two world leaders in a gilded room. It would require a referendum of the Greenlandic people, a total overhaul of international law regarding decolonization, and likely a massive financial package that makes Truman’s $100 million look like pocket change.
The Real Prize: Rare Earths and Melting Ice
Climate change is making this conversation much more urgent, and honestly, a bit more cynical.
As the Greenland ice sheet melts, it’s revealing what lies beneath: some of the world’s largest deposits of rare earth minerals. We’re talking about neodymium, praseodymium, terbium, and dysprosium. These aren't just fancy words; they are the literal building blocks of EVs, wind turbines, and smartphones. Right now, China dominates that supply chain.
The US is terrified of that.
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There is also the matter of the Northwest Passage. As the ice thins, new shipping routes are opening up. These routes could cut weeks off the travel time between Asia and Europe. Controlling or having a massive presence in Greenland means controlling the gateways to the "new" Arctic. It’s about the "High North, Low Tension" dream evaporating as Russia and China both increase their presence in the region.
The "Buy" vs. "Invest" Strategy
Since the 2019 fallout, the US has pivoted. They realized that using the word "buy" was a PR disaster. It sounded colonial. It sounded outdated. So, instead of talking about real estate, the State Department opened a consulate in Nuuk in 2020.
They started pouring money into "development aid."
- $12.1 million for energy and resource projects.
- Funding for English-language education.
- Support for the tourism industry.
- Technical assistance for mining regulations.
This is a "soft power" acquisition. If the US can become Greenland’s primary economic partner, the need to actually "own" the island becomes irrelevant. They get the military access, they get the mineral rights, and they get the strategic buffer without the headache of managing a territory that is geographically massive and logistically a nightmare.
Could It Ever Actually Happen?
Let’s be real for a second.
Under current international norms, a direct purchase is impossible. It violates the principle of self-determination. However, geopolitical experts like Dr. Rebecca Pincus from the Wilson Center often point out that Greenland’s path to full independence from Denmark is blocked by that $600 million annual budget deficit. Greenland wants to be independent. They just can't afford it yet.
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If the US were to offer to "replace" the Danish subsidy in exchange for a Compact of Free Association—similar to the deals the US has with Pacific nations like Palau or the Marshall Islands—it would be a "purchase" in all but name. The US would handle defense and security, and Greenland would get the cash they need to sever ties with Copenhagen.
What Most People Get Wrong
People think this is about land for houses. It’s not. There isn't even a road between most towns in Greenland; you have to take a boat or a helicopter. This is about the seabed. It’s about the continental shelf. It’s about the "Extended Continental Shelf" claims that are currently being adjudicated by the UN.
The US, Russia, and Denmark (via Greenland) are all laying claim to the North Pole. Buying Greenland would instantly make the US the dominant player in the Arctic land grab.
Actionable Insights for Following the Arctic Shift
The question of whether the US can buy Greenland is a proxy for the much larger struggle for Arctic dominance. If you want to stay ahead of this trend, don't look for real estate listings; look for these specific indicators:
- Mining Permits: Watch the Kvanefjeld project. It's a massive rare-earth and uranium site. The Greenlandic government’s stance on this project is the best barometer for whether they are leaning toward Western or Eastern investment.
- Infrastructure Bids: In 2018, a Chinese company tried to bid on building new airports in Greenland. Denmark blocked it under pressure from the US. Any future infrastructure bids will tell you who really has influence in Nuuk.
- The Danish Election Cycle: If a Greenlandic independence party gains more power in the Inatsisartut (Greenland's Parliament), the US will likely ramp up its diplomatic presence.
The era of "buying" territory might be over, but the era of "leasing" nations for their resources is just getting started. Greenland isn't a commodity; it's a country of people with their own agency, and any future "deal" will have to happen at the ballot box, not just in the Oval Office.