Dispute over Greenland is becoming more and more bizarre: USA plans to rename island - Danes want to buy California

Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger Dispute over Greenland is becoming more and more bizarre: USA plans to rename island - Danes want to buy California Sarah Bornemann • 2 hours • 3 minutes reading time Republican Congressman Buddy Carter has presented a new bill to the House of Representatives. This would empower US President Donald Trump to negotiate the "purchase or other acquisition" of Greenland. A new name has already been found: "Greenland", as Greenland is called in English, is to be renamed "Red, White, and Blueland" - after the colors of the US flag. The draft is therefore called the "Red, White, and Blueland Act of 2025". Donald Trump has long had the goal of acquiring Greenland. The largest island in the world belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark and has around 57,000 inhabitants. Trump made a move to buy it in his first term in office, which both the Danish and Greenland governments repeatedly rejected. The ice island is so popular with Trump because of its extensive natural resources and its strategically important location between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. In an official statement on Tuesday (January 11), Earl "Buddy" Carter said: "America is back and will soon be bigger than ever with Red, White and Blueland." The president rightly declared the purchase a priority for national security. Denmark responds with a petition to buy California Greenland's residents will be proudly welcomed into the "freest state ever" as soon as Trump signs the "monumental" agreement, said Carter. The US president himself believes that the Greenland population wants to join him voluntarily - and that Denmark has no valid legal claim to the island anyway. According to current surveys, however, 85 percent of residents oppose joining the United States. Half even see Trump's move as a threat. Meanwhile, there is a humorous reaction from Denmark: The petition "Let's buy California from Trump" has already collected over 200,000 signatures, as the Guardian first reported. On the English-language website Denmarkification.com, the translation reads, among other things: "Have you ever looked at a map and thought: 'You know what Denmark needs? More sun, palm trees and roller skates?' We have the unique opportunity to make that dream come true." Disneyland to become Hans Christian Andersenland There are several reasons for buying California, according to the website: for example, sunshine in abundance, Disneyland (which is to be renamed Hans Christian Andersenland) and "avocado toast forever." In addition, Donald Trump is not the biggest fan of the US state anyway, as he has publicly stated. The best negotiators will be sent, including Lego executives, and then California could become New Denmark. The donation target is stated to be one trillion dollars, "plus/minus a few billion." Denmark is prepared to sweeten the deal if necessary - with a lifelong supply of Danish pastries. In "Løs Ångeles" the rule of law, universal health care and fact-based politics could apply from now on. The initiators of the petition also promise "We'll bring hygge to Hollywood" and make fun of Donald Trump's election slogan with slogans like "Måke Califørnia Great Ægain." Background: Rare earths, oil and gas lie dormant in the ground During his current term in office, Trump has already targeted Canada, the Panama Canal and the Gaza Strip as possible expansions for the USA. Greenland is largely autonomous, but - like the Faroe Islands - officially belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark. In view of Trump's statements, the governments in Nuuk and Copenhagen repeatedly emphasize that the Greenlanders themselves will decide their future. A new parliament will be elected on the ice island on March 11. Greenland has natural resources such as rare earths. These are metals that are needed for the production of electrical appliances, electric cars or wind turbines, for example. They are therefore in great demand in the EU - and also in the USA, which wants to break China's dominance in these minerals. Huge untapped oil and gas reserves are also suspected off the north coast of Greenland. At the beginning of January 2025, the current US President sent his son Donald Trump Jr. on a diplomatic mission to Greenland, who distributed the well-known red "Make America Great Again" hats on site. Don Jr. then claimed that Greenland loved America and Trump. This met with strong opposition from the Greenlanders.