Washington, DC, January 20 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Tuesday posted an image on Truth Social showing a map of the United States that included Canada, Greenland, and Venezuela as part of the country. In photos accompanying the post, Trump appears in the Oval Office with European leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
In another image, Trump is shown with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio holding a US flag in Greenland beside a milepost reading “Greenland US Territory Est. 2026.”
Following reports of the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Trump said the United States would oversee Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition,” and the White House reiterated that the administration is in contact with interim Venezuelan authorities and holds “maximum leverage” in ongoing decisions.
Trump has previously suggested Canada become the 51st US state; Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney firmly rejected the idea after his election, stressing Canadian independence. Trump has repeatedly mocked former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau by calling him the “Governor of Canada.”
Trump also spoke by phone with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte about Greenland and said he would meet several parties in Davos, calling Greenland “integral to both American and global security.”
Amid rising tensions over interest in acquiring Greenland, the United States is set to deploy a North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) aircraft to the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland. NORAD said this deployment will support long-planned activities and is coordinated with Denmark and Greenland.
Previously, Trump threatened tariffs on Denmark and other European countries, including the UK, unless they agreed to sell Greenland. He framed the move as necessary for national security, citing interest from China and Russia, and warned of escalating tariffs (10 % from Feb. 1, 2026 and 25 % from June 1, 2026) if no agreement was reached, saying it was “time for Denmark to give back” after years of US support.
Historical Context: Denmark’s Forced Contraception and Sterilization of Greenlandic Women
While the current geopolitical focus is on Trump’s push toward Greenland, there is an older and deeply painful chapter in Greenland’s history under Danish governance that continues to shape Greenlandic attitudes toward autonomy.
From the **1960s through the 1970s—and in some cases into the early 1990s—Danish health authorities systematically imposed birth-control measures on Greenlandic Inuit girls and women, often without their knowledge or consent. This has been described in news reports and formal investigations as a coercive campaign with lasting human rights implications.
Scope of the practice: Danish health officials placed intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUDs) and administered hormonal birth control to thousands of Inuit women and girls—some as young as around 12 years old—without informed consent. Estimates suggest around 4,500 women and girls were affected, roughly half of Greenland’s fertile female population at the time.
Purpose: The practice was framed as population-control policy to limit population growth and reduce economic burdens, amid rapid increases in Greenland’s birthrates due to improvements in health care and living conditions. Many recipients were unaware of what was being done or what the procedures meant for their fertility.
Medical consequences: Survivors describe the experiences as traumatic, with some reporting physical pain, long-term complications, infections, and permanent infertility.
Legal and political response: Nearly 150 Greenlandic women filed lawsuits against the Danish government, claiming human-rights violations, and Denmark has acknowledged the abuses. Formal apologies were issued jointly by Denmark and Greenland, with compensation frameworks established for victims (e.g., payouts of ~300,000 Danish kroner each beginning in 2026).
Legacy: Greenland leaders and activists have described these policies as a “dark chapter” in colonial relations. Former Greenlandic officials have even called parts of the campaign genocidal, reflecting the deep wounds and lasting mistrust fostered by these practices.
Why This Matters Today
The historic forced contraception and sterilization programs are cited by some Greenlanders as evidence of Denmark’s colonial disregard for Inuit rights. This background adds context to why moves to transfer sovereignty—whether to Denmark or now potentially to the United States—are controversial in Greenland, complicating discussions about Greenland’s future.
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