America's Greenland maneuvers will unleash chaos

Editor's note: Pang Xinhua is a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.

The itinerary for U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife Usha Vance's planned visit to Greenland Friday was altered, with the social visits canceled after protests by the locals and concerns by Greenland and Denmark. The couple will now proceed only to the U.S. military base on the northwest coast.

Though Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told the Danish media the amended travel plan was a de-escalation, the fact that the trip was contemplated in the first place despite the complexities in U.S.-Greenland ties during U.S. President Donald Trump's second term has added fuel to diplomatic floundering.

Trump has a history of showing a strong interest in Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. In his previous term, he proposed to "buy" Greenland. Then taking office again in January 2025, he has become more blatant in his desire to acquire Greenland, claiming that controlling the island is "absolute necessity" for international security and the possibility of using "military or economic coercion" to seize the island can't be ruled out.

The Vance's unsolicited visit was criticized by the Danish government and Greenland's leaders. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said it was "unacceptable pressure," and Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede accused the U.S. arrangement of being aggressive provocation.

Greenland, the world's largest island, 80 percent of which is covered by ice and snow, has a long and complex history. Norse explorer Erik the Red went there in the 10th century and gave it its current name. In 1380, Greenland became part of the Kalmar Union, a royal personal union of the kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. In 1953, the Danish Constitution incorporated Greenland into Denmark, and Greenlanders became Danish citizens. In 1979, the Danish parliament passed the Home Rule Act, granting it a high degree of autonomy while its foreign affairs and defense matters remained under Danish control.

Why the U.S. covets Greenland can be explained by the island's abundant natural resources and its important strategic location. Greenland has rich mineral resources, with abundant reserves of rare earth elements, besides oil, natural gas and coal. With global warming, Greenland's ice sheet is melting, making the exploitation of its natural resources easier. In addition, the waters around the island are rich in fishery resources.

Greenland is also a key node of the Arctic shipping route, connecting Europe, Asia and America, which makes it a focal point of great power competition.

Trump has repeatedly lauded his predecessors who expanded U.S. territory, including William McKinley, the 25th president of the U.S. who annexed Hawaii, Guam and Puerto Rico. Trump thinks that the policies and expansionist actions during McKinley's time laid the foundation for U.S. prosperity. Apparently, he is now attempting to make America "great again" in a similar way.

However, any attempt to seize Greenland would not only infringe on Danish sovereignty and Greenland's autonomy, but also constitute a blatant violation of the basic norms of international relations and the UN Charter.

The UN Charter clearly stipulates that all members shall refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the UN. This principle is the cornerstone of modern international relations, aimed at maintaining international peace and security and ensuring the equality of national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

International law clearly stipulates that national territorial sovereignty includes territorial jurisdiction, territorial ownership and the inviolability of territorial integrity. No country may infringe upon the territorial integrity of another country through force or other illegal means; any such infringement will be a violation of international law.

The Danish government has made it clear that Denmark will seriously deal with any such U.S. action. Greenland's prime minister has said that Greenland belongs to Greenlanders and is "not for sale." "Greenland will never become U.S. territory," he said. "The U.S. action is a display of American power to Greenland, and this behavior poses a serious threat to Greenland's autonomy and the will of its residents."

The residents of Greenland also oppose what they perceive as America's attempt to seize their island. A survey by a polling agency in January 2025 showed that 85 percent of Greenlanders do not want their island to become part of the United States. They do not want to become either Americans or Danes, but to maintain their own identity and culture.

If the U.S. succeeds in its attempt to seize Greenland, it would be like opening a Pandora's box, taking the world back into the jungle era where only the fittest can survive. This would disrupt international peace and stability and damage the foundation of trust and cooperation in the international community. The result would be further escalation of international tensions and utter chaos in the international order.

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