Arne O. Holm says The Only Safe Bet Is That Trump Will Destroy Any Possibility of an Independent Greenland
Seen from the outside, Greenland can look like a utopia. That is not the whole truth. (Photo: Arne O. Holm)
Comment: It is correct that Denmark has practiced a brutal policy toward the indigenous people of Greenland. And that the island is rich in resources. But that is not why Donald Trump threatens to take over Greenland with force—quite the contrary.
This is a comment written by a member of the editorial staff. The comment expresses the writer's opinions.
Some comments around the statements of the US President-elect paint a picture of a US rescuer heading to Greenland.
Of course, that is not the case.
Demand for independence
On the contrary, a growing Greenlandic demand for independence is in sharp contrast to Trump's demands for a takeover, even with the use of military force against Denmark and, therefore also, NATO.
It should be obvious: Force never leads to freedom, and not this time, either, when a president who does not respect democracy offers it.
If the upcoming election on Greenland were to end with a demand for independence, the independence would vanish at the exact moment the US takes over.
The image of an American rescuer.
Donald Trump's statements must be interpreted solely for what they are worth. An undetonated, for now, bomb into the NATO alliance in a period where the alliance is already at war with Russia in Ukraine.
It is no coincidence that the timing of Trump's threat coincides with the upcoming general election on Greenlandic independence. But the timing is also perfect for a Russia that continues its bloody attacks on a neighboring country.
A divided and partly stunned NATO is Putin's only chance at winning the war.
A lot
Without all the discussions about Danish abuse against the Greenlandic population, the island's valuable resources, and military-strategic importance, Donald Trump's statements are, first and foremost, an attack on the Greenlander's fight for independence, Danish sovereignty, and NATO's unity.
That is a lot over the course of 2-3 days from a man who hasn't formally taken over as president.
An undetonated bomb into NATO.
It remains to be seen whether the NATO that the Norwegian Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg just left is prepared or able to handle threats of attacks from one of their own, even the most powerful member of the alliance.
Pressure from all sides
For the Arctic states, this means that we are being pressed ever harder between two aging presidents, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. And on the sidelines, or next to it, a Chinese leadership with a great appetite for the Arctic.
Hence, it is perhaps as expected that Svalbard's role in the geopolitical image is dragged into comments and discussions based on Greenland's situation.
The leader of the Christian Democratic Party, Dag-Inge Ulstein, also the rapporteur for the Svalbard white paper, has taken it the furthest so far. Just days after Trump's Greenland speech, he is, according to NRK, ready to deploy military resources on Svalbard.
And not just in situations like the current, with significant military activity in the ocean areas around Svalbard by both Norway and NATO, but also what he calls visible military personnel on the island.
It is to be expected that Svalbard is dragged into this.
The same parliament member, Dag-Inge Ulstein, adds, as if to emphasize that we shouldn't take him seriously, that he doesn't want to criticize Donald Trump.
It remains to be seen what is real in Donald Trump's threats against Greenland, Denmark, and NATO. But he has, perhaps, already gained what he wanted.
Putting America first and NATO at risk.
