The diplomatic row over Greenland is part of a strategic battle for control of the North Pole

An Arctic expert says the diplomatic row between Washington and Copenhagen over Greenland is part of a wider strategic battle for control of the Arctic.

US President Donald Trump canceled a visit to Denmark and sharply attacked Danish Prime Minister Mitte Frederiksen for refusing to sell Greenland to the United States.

Mika Murid, a professor of polar geopolitical affairs at the Institute of International Relations in Paris, said Trump’s presentation on Greenland was a way to show US interest in Arctic resources and to divert attention from domestic problems.

Murid said Trump’s offer to buy Greenland was a signal for polar countries and China, which have shown interest in this key region to control new shipping routes, as snow melts because of global warming.

“Regarding the Russians, Trump’s logic says: ‘You won’t always be the main force in the Arctic even if you were the president of the Arctic Council in 2021”.

“As for China, the idea is to say ‘we won’t allow them to have a foothold in Greenland'”.

He said Washington had increased its presence by reopening a consulate in Greenland, capital of Knock, and contributing to funding new airports and social and educational programs.

“The last goal is not to buy Greenland itself, but at least to acquire a new area of ​​new land”, he said.

Washington may seek to buy the Grundal naval base in southern Greenland, “which Denmark ultimately decided not to sell at the end of 2017 because China was the only one interested in the purchase”.

“This dispute is likely to be a political, media and economic test to test the pulse and see the importance of Greenland for the Europeans”, Murid said, expecting it to be protracted.

“He’ll continue to exploit the Greenland dossier, especially as Denmark is a relatively obedient ally that will not abandon the United States because of this dispute”.

Murid said that the dossier allows Trump to “achieve successes in the Arctic and in America”.

“As the presidential term approaches, he has every interest in moving forward on the Greenland issue, and he is in the spotlight and obscures the news of the Democratic camp at a crucial stage as the presidential election approaches”.

“In the United States, no one knows where Greenland is located and how it is managed”, he said.