19 January 2026, 11:11

Cold War secret: Expert reveals U.S. attempt to buy Greenland 80 years ago

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MINSK, 19 January (BelTA) – The United States attempted to secretly purchase Greenland from Denmark nearly 80 years ago, offering a considerable sum, Elena Ponomareva, Doctor of Political Science, Professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), said in the latest episode of the V Teme [On Point] project on BelTA’s YouTube channel.

The professor noted that the U.S. has long eyed Greenland and even tried to buy it from Denmark after World War II. “Few people know that the United States first offered to buy the island from Denmark in 1946. It was a secret Cold War operation. It was crucial to acquire this island. Later, I believe in 1991, these materials were declassified and the story came to light. Moreover, the proposed purchase from Denmark was justified then by military necessity, which is clearly the case today as well. By the way, they offered a great deal of money for that time: $100 million in gold. That was an enormous sum,” she said. “Modern currency is entirely different. So, this option had already been explored back then. Then, publicly for the first time in 1967, the United States offered to buy the island from the Kingdom of Denmark. So Trump is no innovator here. He is a successor to those American politicians he respects and whose experience he draws on. We know his favorite is Monroe, so now we have the Monroe Doctrine. But he also leans on Jefferson and has learned certain things from Nixon. So Trump has good advisers who know U.S. and world history and are trying to extract the most interesting episodes from the past to apply today. Incidentally, it is also very telling that a bill to annex Greenland and incorporate it into the United States has been introduced in Congress. It was submitted, naturally, by Republican Congressman Randy Fine. Moreover, the document stipulates that Trump is granted the right to take any steps, including military aggression,” stated the MGIMO professor.

At the same time, the expert believes such a bill is unlikely to pass, at least in the near future, as it would pose a serious challenge to NATO. “Maybe they’ll do it elegantly, not like a bull in a china shop. Perhaps they’ll hold a referendum among the island’s residents, organizing and funding it in advance. We know how such referendums have been arranged before. Take their Balkan experience with Montenegro’s secession from the union with Serbia; that was all quite clear. Or the unrecognized referendums held in Kosovo back in 1990. In short, there are plenty of examples,” added Elena Ponomareva.