Groenlandia: Un territorio en disputa

Legal Review of Greenland: A Territory in Dispute Fernando López Pérez, CODESEL Bulletin (Cadre of Defense and Security Law), Vol. 2, No. 7, February 2026 The article Greenland: A Territory in Dispute, published in the CODESEL Bulletin, Vol. 2, No. 7 (February 2026), offers a rigorous and well-structured analysis of one of the most sensitive geopolitical spaces in the contemporary international system. Its principal strength lies in the successful integration of three analytical dimensions that are often treated separately: the historical-constitutional evolution of Greenland, its current legal status under international law, and its renewed strategic relevance within the context of great-power competition in the Arctic. From a legal perspective, the author provides a particularly valuable clarification of Greenland’s hybrid constitutional status. The article accurately explains how Greenland, while enjoying extensive internal self-government under the 2009 Act on Greenland Self-Government, remains non-sovereign in international law, with Denmark retaining ultimate competence in matters of defence and foreign affairs. The discussion of the conditional right to self-determination—explicitly recognised in Greenlandic law but procedurally subordinated to an agreement with Denmark and the holding of a referendum—is handled with doctrinal precision and avoids the frequent confusion between political aspiration and legally enforceable entitlement. The analysis is especially strong in its treatment of Greenland’s position within the broader framework of international law. The author correctly situates Greenland outside formal statehood and United Nations membership, while at the same time explaining its particular relationship with the European Union as an Overseas Country and Territory. This nuanced exposition highlights the legal complexity of Greenland’s external relations and underscores the limits imposed by Denmark’s continued international legal personality. The reference to the Ilulissat Declaration and the law of the sea further reinforces the point that Arctic governance remains, at least formally, anchored in existing legal regimes rather than in unilateral power politics. From a political-strategic standpoint, the article convincingly demonstrates that recent United States interest in Greenland—particularly under the Trump administrations—should not be interpreted as an isolated eccentricity, but rather as the latest manifestation of a long-standing geostrategic pattern. By placing contemporary developments in historical continuity, the author avoids sensationalism and instead frames the issue as a structural tension between strategic necessity and legal constraint. The discussion of U.S. military presence, NATO obligations, and the potential paradox of an Article 5 scenario involving an internal conflict within the Alliance is particularly insightful and raises questions of genuine doctrinal importance for collective security law. Finally, the article succeeds in identifying the broader systemic implications of the Greenland question. It illustrates how climate change, resource competition, and emerging Arctic maritime routes are eroding established geopolitical equilibria, while simultaneously testing the resilience of international legal norms. The cautious conclusion—emphasising diplomacy, legal continuity, and the risks of norm erosion—reflects an appropriately restrained scholarly posture and aligns well with the doctrinal orientation of the CODESEL Bulletin. Overall, this contribution stands out as a well-balanced and methodologically sound piece of legal and strategic analysis. It combines doctrinal clarity with geopolitical awareness and offers a valuable reference for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers interested in Arctic security, international law, and alliance governance.