Under the terms of an agreement made over a century ago, Denmark would have to give the UK the right of first refusal if it ever decided to sell Greenland, noted Tom Hoyem, former Danish minister for Greenland (1982-1987), as cited by The Sunday Times.
“If Trump tried to buy Greenland, he would have to ask London first,” Hoyem explained, adding: “The United Kingdom demanded in 1917 that if Greenland were to be sold, the UK would have the first right to buy it.”
1.
Canada, a British dominion at the time, is just a few miles from Greenland, across the Nares Strait, Hoyem explained. Since 2022, Canada has even shared a land border with Greenland on the tiny island of Hans.
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The 1917 agreement stemmed from negotiations surrounding the purchase of the Danish West Indies (now the US Virgin Islands) by the United States.
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The US bought the islands from Denmark for $25 million.
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As part of the deal, Denmark required the US to sign a letter stating that Greenland “is and will forever be Danish.” President Woodrow Wilson agreed.
