Donald Trump, president of the United States of America, will no longer resort to force to take Greenland but will settle for negotiations instead.
Speaking to global political and economic leaders on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump emphasised that Greenland is crucial due to its strategic importance to international security.
“We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be frankly unstoppable. But I won’t do that,” Trump said.
“All we’re asking for is to get Greenland, including the right title and ownership, because you need the ownership to defend it. You can’t defend it on a lease,” he added.
The move to take over the Arctic island intensified after the US invasion of Venezuela in early January, which saw the usurpation of President Nicolas Maduro.
According to the US president, major American oil companies are now interested in investing in Venezuela following the invasion, adding that the move will enable the South American country to “make more money in the next six months than it made in the past 20 years.”
Why the US wants Greenland
Trump has repeatedly argued that the United States “needs” Greenland for security reasons, citing rising global competition in the Arctic. However, European leaders are pushing back against the imperialist plan, stressing that any American attack on Greenland would effectively mark the end of NATO, the alliance built on mutual defence among its members.
The island sits between North America and Europe, along the shortest military route between Russia and the United States. Any missile launched from Russia towards America would most likely pass over the Arctic. Its location makes it well-placed for early warning systems in the event of missile attacks and for monitoring vessels in the region.
“If we don’t take Greenland, Russia or China will take Greenland,” Trump said.
Greenland is a vast, self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, home to about 56,000 people. It moved from colonial rule in 1953 to home rule in 1979, before gaining wider self-government in 2009. Denmark still controls foreign affairs, defence, and monetary policy, while Greenland runs its internal matters, including education, health, and local governance.
“All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland,” he said at Davos. “We already had it, but we returned it to Denmark after World War Two,” he said. The US “should have kept it,” he added.
It already has more than 100 military personnel permanently stationed at its Pituffik base in Greenland’s north-western tip – a facility that has been operated by the US since World War Two.
“I have respect for the people of Greenland, no nation can secure Greenland more than the US,” Trump said.
