'It's all about the U.S. securing greater control of resources': U of C professor concerned over Trump wanting Greenland

Incoming U.S president Donald Trump has suggested he wants to buy Greenland, and one University of Calgary professor fears this could have a severe impact on Canada.

“This is really a story of access to land, and control of resources and, political power play, geopolitically,” said Tricia Stadnyk, Canada research chair and professor at the University of Calgary Schulich School of Engineering

Greenland is currently an autonomous territory of Denmark. Stadnyk said she fears that if the United States bought Greenland, thus gaining access to its resources, Canada might have less to stand on when it comes to the threat of Trump’s proposed tariffs.

“It's all about the U.S. securing greater control of resources,” said Stadnyk. “In the case of Greenland, it's about rare earth minerals or rare earth elements.”

Rare earth elements are used to make cellphones, electric vehicles, wind turbines and for national defense and even in space.

Currently China is the largest producer of rare earth elements accounting for over 70 per cent of the world’s production.

A Saskatchewan organization is breaking ground as the first to commercially produce rare earth metals in the North America market once its facility becomes fully operational this year.

Stadnyk said Greenland is rich in rare earth elements. 

“Where I see Greenland coming into play is it takes away Canada's ability to be able to say we are the biggest supplier of rare earth elements to the U.S. because Greenland could also serve that purpose," Stadnyk said.

Water

Stadnyk said she is also fearful of what might happen with the  Columbia Water Treaty, which sees water flow from British Columbia to the United States. The treaty is a transboundary water management agreement between Canada and the United States.

“The U.S. has courted the idea of harnessing the power of the Columbia River for a very long time,” said Stadnyk. “We are a nation that does not have federal water policy to be able to combat any claim to our water resources. Our water is controlled at the provincial level.”

The current treaty is in the process of being renegotiated, with British Columbia seeking feedback on the agreement-in-principle reached between Canada and the U.S. to modernize it.

“The treaty has been -- is -- being renegotiated. There's an agreement in principle in place which Trump has threatened to overturn,” said Stadnyk. “He wants to overturn that because that agreement would basically harness the power of the Columbia River for hydropower production and diversion to more water-stricken (U.S.) states.” 

'A real thing'

Rob Huebert, a political science professor at the University of Calgary and the interim director for the Center for Military Security and Strategic Studies said the prospect of Trump demanding more water be diverted to the U.S. from Canada “will be a real thing.”

“There's no question that they're going to be looking further north,” said Huebert. “With Trump being Trump, I'd see every reason that he will use water to securitize the issue.

"You know -- what a good way to play to his base when he can say, ‘oh, look at those dastardly Canadians not even being able to willingly share more.’”

Huebert sees Trump ultimately wanting Greenland for “some ideologically-driven manifest destiny, where they get to plant the flag.”

As for the premise that it's  Greenland's rare earth minerals that Trump covets, he isn’t sure how worrisome that shoujld be for Canada  as a bargaining chip against tariffs since Canada has been slow to get rare earth minerals to market.

“Even if the Americans got a little bit more control, part of the problem that Canada faces is that we have been so slow about allowing any type of development of our own resources,” said Huebert.

In response to the concerns over the U.S. joining with Greenland, the federal government provide the following statement:

"The Kingdom of Denmark is a close, like-minded partner for Canada across a range of priority issues, both in and beyond the Arctic," it said. "We cooperate closely on pressing global challenges, from climate issues to international peace and security.

"In the fall of 2024, the Government of Canada launched the Arctic Foreign Policy, a comprehensive diplomatic strategy for Canada’s engagement in and on the Arctic.

"Through the Arctic Foreign Policy, Canada recognizes the United States and the nordic countries, including Denmark, as its most important partners in the Arctic.

"Canada is looking forward to working together with the incoming Trump administration," it added, "including on issues of trade, investment, and peace and security.

"Canada and the U.S. have the world’s most successful partnership, united by a shared history, common values, and steadfast ties between our peoples. We are also each other’s largest trade partners, and our economies are deeply intertwined."