The funds would “establish a permanent diplomatic presence in Greenland, which was previously notified to Congress,” according to the request.
President Donald Trump’s far-fetched plan to acquire Greenland proved unsuccessful last year, but a new idea tucked away in the president’s new budget request has a better chance: a consulate in the independent, ice-covered Danish territory.
The administration’s proposal, rolled out last week, would give the State Department $587,000 to build a first permanent consular services outpost in the strategic location in the Arctic Circle.
The funds would “establish a permanent diplomatic presence in Greenland, which was previously notified to Congress,” according to the request.
The drama between Trump and Denmark last summer drew laughter from lawmakers to TV personalities, starting with a Wall Street Journal report on the purchase and ending with Trump canceling a trip to Copenhagen. At the time, some advocates inside the government argued a stronger U.S.-Greenland relationship would help edge out growing Russian and Chinese influence in the region, an argument that’s come into the spotlight again.
Greenland’s premier had declared the region “is not for sale and cannot be sold,” and Trump’s plan collapsed. Now, some administration officials and experts say this time around, Trump’s request to build a consulate is likely to be approved by Congress due to the region’s strategic importance to military capabilities and environmental research.
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A consulate in Greenland? A new idea tucked away in Trump’s budget request would give the State Department $587,000 to build one. https://t.co/cStxrzOY8e
— POLITICO (@politico) February 19, 2020
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