Republican Congressman Randy Fine introduced a bill in the U.S. Congress to incorporate Greenland into the United States and grant it statehood. His statement says the initiative brings into the legal arena discussion of both annexing the island and the possibility of purchasing it.
Fine justified his proposal by pointing to escalating geopolitical tensions in the Arctic. He said Russia and China are expanding their presence in the region in an “aggressive” manner, increasing pressure on Washington’s security and strategic interests.
In the congressman’s view, whoever controls Greenland will have influence over Arctic sea routes. He also argued that the security system serving to protect the United States is to a large extent tied to this territory as well.
Fine’s statement says America cannot leave such a critical direction in the hands of “regimes that hate our values and want to call our security into question.” He believes the bill would be a legal step aimed at reducing precisely these risks.
If the law is adopted, U.S. President Donald Trump would be empowered to take actions deemed necessary to annex the island or purchase it. At the same time, the document requires the president to submit a report to Congress on the amendments and plans needed along the way.
Greenland’s territory covers 2,166,000 square kilometers. If it becomes the 51st U.S. state, it could become the country’s largest state by area. By comparison, the current largest state, Alaska, covers 1,723,000 square kilometers.
Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Until 1953 it was considered a Danish colony, and in 2009 it received an autonomy status with expanded self-government, allowing it to independently determine domestic policy matters.
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