The Greenlandic people stand against USA and Danish imperialism
From Richard Milne; “How Greenland got caught in a clash of superpowers”, Financial Times; 6 February 2025
In Solidarity with the People of Greenland
The current pattern of USA imperialist decadent decline
The current attacks of President Trump and USA upon the national independence of Greenland show a reversion to an older form of overt – naked – imperialist method of the USA. Greenland here faces the rage of the USA leadership of Trump, in company with other nations. The previously disguised forms of imperialism, are now being replaced in the current capitalist decadence of the USA by an open aggression. This has been launched on several nations – Palestinian Gaza, Panama, and even the neighbour of Canada. The pattern of bullying used against Greenland is the same used in all of these instances. It fits into the larger pattern of an increasing risk of a new inter-imperialist war.
We have written previously in several articles on that increasing risk of inter-imperialist war. Most recently in the Bay of Bengal 23 August, 2024 Marxist-Leninist Research Group.online. More fully this is discussed in “Theses at a time of an obvious attempted re-division of world ‘spheres of interest’ February 6, 2020, at Marxist-Leninist Currents at Red Phoenix (APL).
Defend Greenland’s Nationhood
In the tumultuous early weeks of USA President Donald Trump’s administration, the leader of America’s emerging plutocracy has renewed calls for the United States to take control of its northern neighbor, Greenland. Trump first floated the idea in 2019, citing “international security” as the basis for a hypothetical US bid to purchase the island nation. But this time around, Trump’s aspirations have grown more definite and more aggressive in tone, and it is a time of concern for the people of Greenland. As the effects of climate change open up the seas in the Arctic Circle, the big powers are undergoing a ‘Scramble for the Artic’ that parallels the 19th century “Scramble for Africa”. The map above shows the current USA bases against their conforming Russian bases in the Arctic:
“A potential source of tension between Russia, China and the west is of the gradual opening up of new shipping routes through theArctic. Mariners have long looked at the north-west and north-east passages as ways of shortening distances between Asia and the west. Climate change is now making these routes easier to navigate. The Northwest Passage, which begins to the west of Greenland, is still largely ice-bound but what Moscow calls the Northern Sea Route, the north-east passage above Russia, is navigable for parts of the year. Volumes through that corridor hit a record high of 38mn tonnes last year, though that was still less than half the amount Russia had targeted. It represents just 2-3 per cent of the volumes sent through the Suez Canal in 2023, before traffic there was disrupted by Houthi attacks on shipping.” Richard Milne; “How Greenland got caught in a clash of superpowers”, Financial Times; 6 February 2025
In addition to Greenland’s strategic value, the United States seeks to possess and exploit the nation’s vast and largely untapped natural resources. Oil, natural gas, and rare earth elements constitute the “booty” rife for “world plunderers” noted by Lenin in his crucial study of imperialism, Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism. As Eldur Olafsson, the chief executive of mining company Amaroq Minerals puts it:
“The mine, which Amaroq bought in 2015, had operated for most of the preceding decade, but closed due to then falling gold prices, and high operating costs.
Amaroq is confident that the mine will now be profitable. And it plans to ramp up production this year, where it has built a brand new processing plant to crush the ore and refine the precious metal into gold bars… Currently, there are just two active mines on the entire island.
[…] Greenland is a self-governing territory that is part of Denmark, but controls its own natural resources.
It’s endowed with the eighth largest reserves of so-called rare earth elements, which are vital for making everything from mobile phones to batteries and electric motors. It also has large amounts of other key metals, such as lithium and cobalt.
There is oil and gas too, but new drilling is banned, while deep-sea mining has also been ruled out.
Christian Kjeldsen, director of Greenland’s Business Association, says that the global “geopolitical situation right now is driving interest in the world’s biggest island”.
He points to China having the world’s largest reserves of rare earth metals, while the West wants to secure alternative supplies.
“You have a very strong China sitting very heavily on the critical raw materials,” he says.” Adrienne Murray; “Inside the race for Greenland’s mineral wealth”; BBC; 26 January 2025
Despite Greenland’s status as an autonomous territory of Denmark, the nation’s people are engaged in a robust campaign for independence and opposition to assimilation by the world’s largest imperialist power, the United States of America, is prominent throughout the nation. In particular, Greenland’s socialist and communist parties vehemently oppose US involvement in Greenland. These organizations are simultaneously skeptical that Denmark, also a member of the strategic alliance NATO, can be trusted to fully support the people of Greenland in the face of a potential conflict with the United States.
A joint statement issued by the Workers’ Communist Party of Denmark (APK) and the American Party of Labor USA (APL) articulated the stakes and potential consequences of a US assimilation of Greenland:
“The rampant rearmament and militarization of the Arctic and Greenland, with increased Danish and American presence and military bases, increases tensions throughout the region. It is paid for by increased pressure on the American, Greenlandic, and Danish working class with low wages, inflation, and cuts to the public sector in favor of increasing military spending. The Trump administration will further favor the war industry. In Denmark, the government is already bowing meekly to Trump’s demands with the decision to spend billions more (DKK 15 billion) on rearmament in the Arctic.” “Solidarity with the Greenlandic people against all imperialism: Joint statement of the Workers’ Communist Party (Denmark) and the American Party of Labor (USA),” The Red Phoenix, 2 Feb 2025; for Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations (ICMLPO)
The Communist Party of Greenland (DKP) has also aptly summarized the levels of the struggle emerging in Greenland today:
“The competition of monopolies for markets, raw materials and transport routes automatically leads to territorial redistribution of the world, to imperialist wars and border changes. Imperialist competition aims at supremacy and the exercise of power over weaker states and people. It aims at the monopolies’ profit, profit for the few, but also at weakening opponents. That is why it is relentless and cynical. DKP believes that the people must show the way for the confrontation with the bourgeois and anti-people politics in every version, the power of capital and thus the exploitative and war-making system. The Danish government must realize that its closest ally is not doing so out of a good heart, but to secure its own financial interests. Exactly the same as is the case with Denmark’s grip on Greenland. Therefore, we must respect the Greenlanders’ right to determine their own destiny and speak out against any kind of increase of insecurity in the world.
“Communist Party of Denmark: Hands Off Greenland!” In Defense of Communism, 15 January 2025
The Editors of MLRG.online lend our support to the efforts of fraternal socialist and communist organizations throughout Greenland, as well as those of working people throughout Greenland, Denmark, and the United States in opposing US expansion into and/or assimilation of Greenland. In falling to Trumpite neo-fascist imperialism, Greenland would surely follow a path of despair and hardship. We support the Greenlanders’ right to gain independence from the Danish monarchy and to determine its own course. In doing so, Greenland must remain independent and free of US military occupation and financial exploitation.
