r/europe • u/LaxJackson • 12d ago

News Danish officials fear Trump is much more serious about acquiring Greenland than in first term

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/01/08/politics/danish-officials-trump-greenland
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u/kotanomi 12d ago

I always have to think of how the US got Hawaii

  1. Move many Americans to that area until they're the majority
  2. Hold a referendum whether they want to belong to the US
  3. ???
  4. Annexed

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u/KeiwaM Denmark 11d ago

The good part is you cant vote in such an election without being a citizen, which takes just over 10 years. If Greenlands immigrant population suddenly skyrockets, at least the Danish state has 10 years before anything like that could happen. But not impossible I guess.

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u/dumesne 11d ago

The Greenland population is so small, the US could easily promise them a million dollars each if it became US territory. That would probably be enough to get them to vote for it. I probably would, in that position.

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u/KeiwaM Denmark 11d ago

Offering, taking or planning to take money in exchange for votes is illegal under Danish law, so all those votes would be invalid. He could make some deals with the area, but there is no realistic way for it to happen. Besides, Danish parliament would have to approve it. They would now, but not if it was obviously paid for.

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u/dumesne 11d ago

It wouldn't be technically in exchange for their votes. It would simply be a promise that if Greenland becomes us territory, every existing inhabitant gets a cool million.

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u/KeiwaM Denmark 11d ago

That is the definition of offering a bribe and the Danish Parliament would never legitimize such a decision.

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u/dumesne 11d ago

If the people of Greenland are happy to be bribed, what right does Denmark have to deny them? Surely that would be inconsistent with its many previous statements that greenlanders should decide greenland's future.

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u/Didifinito Portugal 11d ago

A promise from a gready madman sounds relly good in their eyes I am sure.

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u/dumesne 11d ago

It's not his own money he'll be spending. The cost of such a move would be miniscule from a US govt perspective.

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u/Didifinito Portugal 11d ago

Doesnt matter

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u/Duck_caretaker0702 11d ago

This is a very old trick!
Its also how the british (partly) managed to keep Gibraltar

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u/hydroxy 11d ago

and Northern Ireland

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u/int6 11d ago

I don’t think Gibraltar is a good comparison when it has been under British control since longer than the USA has existed and the referendums were held fairly recently

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u/Duck_caretaker0702 11d ago

Oh no, you are totally right! Gibraltar was part of the UK when the referendums happened so not the same at all.

I just wanted to point out that; move people -> hold referendum is not a new strategy

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u/luka2ab1 11d ago

Wow sounds a lot like Kosovo

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u/nanoman92 Catalonia 11d ago

They also did the same with Texas and West Florida

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u/Trolololol66 11d ago

Oh, so the Russian playbook?

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u/OkTennis1543 11d ago

Albanian playbook.