Europe is still reeling from the startling, surprising move by US President Donald J. Trump to deploy a diplomatic offensive coupled with economic sanction threats to purchase or otherwise seize the Danish island of Greenland.
Once Trump refused to rule out using the military to take control of the Arctic territory, there was widespread panic, and the Denmark Kingdom reportedly went into crisis mode.
Now it arises that some Nato countries are secretly discussing deploying troops to Greenland after Trump declared that it would be an ‘unfriendly act’ for Copenhagen to refuse to give up the island.
Germany was allegedly among the many European allies in these informal talks.
The Telegraph reported:
“’Berlin doesn’t want to send troops to Ukraine because the situation is ‘too ambiguous’ but is openly flying kites about sending Nato troops to Greenland’, a Nato diplomat told The Telegraph. ‘It’s a moral compass without a needle’.”
The European powers can’t agree on a course of action to prevent causing a transatlantic crisis.
Germany’s failed outgoing Chancellor Scholz is the most vocal critic of Trump over Greenland, declaring that ‘borders must not be moved by force’ – even though his country doesn’t have a single combat-ready division.
“But Mette Frederiksen, the Danish prime minister, has urged allies not to respond to the US president to avoid exacerbating the current tensions. She has welcomed US security concerns over the Arctic and promised to boost Denmark’s military presence on Greenland, but insisted the island is not for sale.”
Denmark now plans to spend $1.5 billion on ships, drones, and sled patrols to boost the island’s security, as well as upgrading an airfield to allow F-35 fighter jets to operate from it.
“France and Germany have openly touted sending European troops to join the Americans already stationed there, but some European leaders have suggested staging a more robust ‘fight back’ against the US president’s overtures.”
They have gone as far as pondering whether Article 5 could be invoked against the US if Trump does indeed conquer Greenland!
The mutual defense of Article 5 has only been triggered once in NATO’s history, after the 9/11 attacks on America.
“Article 4, which allows a national capital to launch emergency consultations if its “territorial integrity, political independence or security” is threatened, was seen as a more suitable measure. It is often considered in the context of Turkey and Greece as the best possible mechanism to address tensions between allies.”
Another option in debate is collaboratively using NATO troops to plug security gaps in the Arctic, addressing the US president’s concerns.
New Arctic shipping routes and access to rare earth materials create a race against Russia and China in the effort to control the pivotal region.
“Mr. Trump is concerned because the Pituffik Space Base in north-west Greenland is used by the US for crucial missile warning systems, as well as satellite and space surveillance. Mark Rutte, Nato’s secretary-general, has attempted to defuse Mr. Trump’s threats by offering to let the alliance ramp up its presence in the Arctic. ‘It’s absolutely clear that Trump is right when it comes to the high north, that we have to do more’, he said earlier this week.”
Read more:
THE TRUMP EFFECT: Denmark Ready To Allow the US To Expand Its Military Presence on Greenland
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