Donald Trump wants the US to buy Greenland. This is news that at first glance might make you smile, but which should not be taken lightly given that it could open up dangerous and complex scenarios.
“Ai purposes of national security and freedom throughout the world – Trump wrote on Truth, his social network -, the United States of America believes that ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity”.
Donald Trump who will officially take office as president of the United States on January 20th, did not provide further details on this “offer”, but already in 2019 when he was in the White House for the first time he had tried to buy the Greenland from the Denmark.
The statement followed the announcement that he had chosen Ken Howery – former envoy to Sweden and co-founder of PayPal – as US ambassador to Denmark.
The vast Arctic island has been part of Denmark since over 600 yearswith the Copenhagen government which once again seems to be ready to return the tycoon's flattery about Greenland to the sender.
“Greenland is ours – said the prime minister of the island, Mute Egede -. We are not for sale and never will be. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom”.
But why does Donald Trump want Greenland?
Trump, Greenland and a possible war
Greenland is a semi-autonomous area of Denmark that is home to a large US Air Force base. In 2019 Copenhagen defined “unpleasant” Donald Trump's proposal.
Pituffik air base however is strategic importance to the US military and its ballistic missile early warning systemsince the shortest route from Europe to North America passes through the island.
Basically if the war in Ukraine were to degenerate and the Russia should it decide to launch a missile towards the United States, the US could intercept them thanks to the defense systems located in Greenland.
At the same time, Donald Trump also threatened to reassert US control over the Panama Canalaccusing the local government of applying excessive fees to use the Central American passage, as well as launching the proposal for an annexation of the Canada to States.
In short, Trump's foreign policy looks more like a game of Risk than a geopolitical and diplomatic strategy.
