Trump wants to take Greenland by force

Trump wants to gain control over Greenland. He is even ready to use military force to achieve this goal. Danish officials have repeatedly rejected Trump's offer to buy the island and at the same time decided to increase defense spending.

This raises the question: is Denmark ready for an armed conflict or not? What do the Greenlanders themselves think about the US actions?

Trump has this goal from the beginning

This is not the first time Trump has said that he wants to buy Greenland. He also expressed this goal during his previous presidency. Trump was furious when he heard Denmark's refusal.

"He stubbornly stood his ground. "I think Trump's intentions are serious and potentially very dangerous," said one of the Financial Times sources, commenting on the telephone conversation between US President Donald Trump and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

The conversation between Trump and Frederiksen lasted 45 minutes. According to the Financial Times interlocutor, the conversation was "very bad." It is noted that, despite Frederiksen's proposals to develop cooperation in the military bases and mining, Trump spoke in an "aggressive tone."

The Danish Prime Minister's Office, responding to these comments, said that "the comments given by anonymous sources do not confirm the interpretation of the conversation." However, shortly after the conversation, Denmark decided to increase spending on the defense of Greenland. However, according to the Danish Minister of Defense, Troels Lund Poulsen, this decision had nothing to do with recent events.

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Increase in defense spending

According to Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, Copenhagen has been cutting defense spending for many years. It has not invested enough in building and purchasing warships and aircraft to protect Greenland. Now officials plan to correct this mistake.

They plan to purchase three new warships, as well as increase the number of patrol units consisting of sled dogs for reconnaissance. In addition, the government has allocated $ 400 million to develop a surveillance and reconnaissance system in the Arctic and North Atlantic, and to purchase two long-range drones.

In addition, on January 27, Copenhagen signed a new defense agreement with Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Denmark announced that it would allocate 14.6 billion kroner ($2.1 billion) to strengthen its military presence in the Arctic. For comparison, last year Denmark allocated $26 billion for its defense over a decade, or $2.6 billion per year. Only a fraction of this amount was planned to be spent on the Arctic.

However, according to the BBC, the plan to strengthen defense has been discussed for a long time and should not be seen as a direct response to the statements of the US president.

Denmark cannot defend itself, so it seeks help from European countries

Increasing defense spending is just one of the measures taken by the Danish authorities. In addition, they are trying to get external help. On January 28, Prime Minister Frederiksen visited three European countries in one day, where she spoke about “a stronger and more determined Europe that takes more responsibility for its own security.”

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European officials supported the Danish prime minister. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stressed that “borders cannot be changed by force” and that “the whole of Europe must unite against this.” French President Emmanuel Macron said that “everyone in Europe now understands that cooperation with the United States will be different.”

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, in turn, confirmed that alliance members should work to strengthen defenses in the Arctic. The most ambitious statement was made by Austrian general and chairman of the European Union Military Committee Robert Brieger. He suggested considering the possibility of sending EU troops to Greenland.

Mette Frederiksen reiterated at a press conference on February 3 that Greenland “is part of the country’s territory and cannot be sold.” She also called on European partners to firmly reject Trump’s threat to annex the island if he continues.

However, despite the firm position, Danish officials do not want to enter into an open confrontation with the United States. According to the Financial Times, they have asked the European Union and NATO allies to exercise restraint on this issue.

The reason is simple: the Danish international As Ulrik Pram Gad, a senior fellow at the Institute for International Relations, points out, Denmark is not capable of defending Greenland.

At the diplomatic level, Washington and Copenhagen continue to engage in dialogue. On January 24, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio: the officials confirmed that relations between the two countries remain strong. A week later, commenting on Rubio's interview, Rasmussen noted that "some of America's interests actually coincide with our own."

What do the Greenlanders themselves think about the conflict?

The prospect of becoming a new US state does not bother Greenlanders much: 85 percent of the population is against it, while 55 percent prefer to retain Danish citizenship. At the same time, 45 percent of respondents believe that Trump's interest in the island could open up new opportunities, while 43 percent see it as a threat.

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Local authorities are listening to these views: Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede said he was ready to cooperate, but not join the US. He called on the islanders to remain calm and united. He also added that Greenland's main goal is to achieve full independence. The opposition socialist party "Siumit" also agreed with his opinion.

However, there are those who are skeptical of the actions of local authorities. According to Martha Labansen, the former director of the Greenland Municipalities Association, the government's unwillingness to speak openly about the current situation and threats is "a shame for a democratic country." Kai Kleist, a former senior official in Greenland, said that Egede's position "will ultimately lead to misunderstandings among the people who control the island."

At the same time, the caution of the local authorities is understandable, as Akkaluq Linge, the founder of the People's Community party, which forms the core of the ruling coalition, explained, because the leader of Greenland has never been in a situation where "the existence of the country is at stake."

Egede and his coalition are avoiding drastic measures, because in two months Greenland is due to hold parliamentary elections. To prevent external interference, the government on February 3 submitted a special bill to parliament for consideration. It prohibits political parties from "accepting contributions from foreign or anonymous donors" and limits the total amount of personal donations to 200,000 Danish kroner.

Meanwhile, the Greenlandic press is trying to calm worried readers. "It's very important to stay calm in times like these. Take a deep breath and don't think about the worst-case scenarios," psychologist Niina Isaksen told a local newspaper. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”