Tom Duddleston

During a hearing in the U.S. Congress today, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked whether he was aware that Greenland is part of Denmark. His response was: “For now.” It is worth recalling a few basic facts. Greenland’s future is for the Greenlandic people to decide, in accordance with the 2009 Self-Government Act, which recognizes the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination. That decision will not be made in Washington, but in Greenland. Until the Greenlandic people decide otherwise, Greenland remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark. This status is recognized under international law, where respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity is among the most fundamental principles of the international order. Greenland is also part of NATO through the Kingdom of Denmark. The United States has maintained a significant military presence in Greenland for decades and at one point operated up to 17 military bases and installations across Greenland. Under the 1951 Defense Agreement between Denmark and the United States, later updated through the 2004 Igaliku Agreement, signed in Igaliku, Greenland, by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, Denmark and Greenland, the United States already has the ability to establish or reopen military facilities in Greenland in cooperation with Denmark and Greenland. There is therefore no security rationale that justifies discussions about American ownership of Greenland. The idea of purchasing territories or acquiring parts of sovereign countries belongs to another era. That is not how modern allies conduct themselves in the 21st century. If members of the U.S. administration believe that such statements enjoy broad support among the Greenlandic people, they are gravely mistaken. Political signals from Greenland have repeatedly shown that Greenlanders expect their right to determine their own future to be respected. Neither Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, nor any future American president should decide Greenland’s future. That right belongs exclusively to the Greenlandic people, in accordance with the Self-Government Act and the international principle of self-determination. Greenland’s future belongs to the people of Greenland. Not Washington. Not any other capital. The decision belongs to the Greenlandic people — and to them alone. Period.