US President Donald Trump has asked senior military commanders to prepare plans for a potential invasion of Greenland, according to international media reports. According to the report, Trump ordered the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) to investigate military options for taking control of the Arctic island.
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According to reports, many hawks in the American president’s circle, following Washington’s success in carrying out a military operation in Venezuela on January 3, which led to the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, “want to move quickly to seize the island before Russia or China make any move.” However, the Joint Chiefs of Staff oppose the move, arguing it would be illegal and would not have Congressional support.
Donald Trump: We will do something about Greenland
Speaking at a White House event on Friday (01/09), Trump stated: “We will do something about Greenland, whether they like it or not, because if we don’t, Russia or China will take over Greenland and we won’t have Russia or China as a neighbor.” “I would like to make a deal the easy way, but if we don’t do it the easy way, we’ll do it the hard way,” he added.
The same day, Greenland’s political party leaders declared: “We don’t want to be Americans, we don’t want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders,” following Trump’s comments expressing interest in taking over Greenland.
NATO in a difficult position
Trump’s threats against Greenland put NATO in a difficult position and have caused concern in European capitals, which fear the alliance is not defending Denmark’s rights. This is because, as the Financial Times reports, it has not issued a public statement confirming the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Denmark and Greenland, nor has it responded to the US president’s stated ambition for the vast island that forms part of the Danish kingdom.
This has angered European members trying to present a united front and ease transatlantic tensions, and comes in stark contrast to the EU’s recent efforts to rally around Copenhagen.
Trump has repeatedly accused Denmark of failing to adequately protect the island and invest in its security, despite what he claims is increasing Russian and Chinese naval activity around it. The White House has stated that military action was “an option” alongside purchase or other methods of taking control. This poses an agonizing challenge for NATO and Rutte. An invasion or annexation attempt by the US would mean immediate conflict between two allies, calling into question the mutual defense clause of Article 5, which many members consider their raison d’être.
“They are conspicuously silent,” said an EU official. “Rutte was supposed to be the man Europe could rely on to be our ‘Trump whisperer.’ But he wasn’t supposed to be this silent.” “Of course, it’s difficult to discuss these things within NATO,” says an alliance diplomat characteristically. “But if they don’t, it implies we’re all okay with what’s happening,” he adds.
Revealing is also the statement by EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius. “I don’t know about these discussions within NATO about Greenland and how they happen. But just looking from outside, NATO is in some kind of special situation,” Kubilius added, citing the fact that both Denmark and the US are members.
“Ukraine is easy for us. Russia has long been the enemy. Greenland is much more complicated. The US is supposed to be our great ally. This makes everything much more difficult,” said a senior Scandinavian diplomat in turn.
