In the coming weeks, U.S., Danish, Greenlandic and NATO officials will meet to discuss a possible deal regarding the future of Greenland. Such a deal would likely need to address military bases, trade lanes, governance and economic development. Greenland has been steadily increasing its autonomy over past decades, and rumors of a potential independence referendum have circulated on more than one occasion. Independence, however, would be difficult to incorporate into any deal, since the will of the people and election results can’t be guaranteed one way or another.
Economic potential must also be taken with geography in mind. While there is high demand for Greenland’s mineral deposits, extracting them and loading them for export is extremely difficult to do in most parts of the territory. Therefore, any type of economic commitments regarding Greenland’s future will likely include more fundamental infrastructure and other elements in addition to any major mining projects.
