Alex Ritson

would help him to take control of Greenland.

They may well certainly serve, I think, to fire a shot across the bowels of many European leaders, Alex.

And President Trump has now drawn the EU into the political brinkmanship surrounding Greenland's future.

He's up the ante as well as far as rhetoric is concerned, claiming on social media that the security of both this country, the United States, and the world rests with Greenland becoming part of the United States.

As you said, he's threatening tariffs of up to 25% on imports worldwide.

from eight European nations until such time as an agreement is reached for the United States to purchase Greenland.

Now, all eight of the countries mentioned have backed Denmark, warning that the use of US soldiers to seize control of Greenland could spell the end of the NATO alliance.

Yeah, because words are one thing, but will Donald Trump actually follow through and impose tariffs on these countries?

And what would they need to do to avoid that?

I think raising the price of imports once again would not be popular, both here and in Europe.

And he has allowed himself a two-week window, hasn't he, for negotiation over the future of Greenland, saying that those first 10% tariffs...

won't be introduced until the end of this month.

That's some wriggle room which the president tends to set himself in these sort of circumstances.

And those on both sides of the pond, I think, will be hoping that some sort of compromise can be reached.

Do we know what the real reason is for Donald Trump's desire to add Greenland to the United States?

Well, he insists, doesn't he, that it's all about vital national security interests.

But it is, of course, also an island that is rich in rare earth minerals such as iron, uranium and so on.

Those are the sort of minerals that...

China currently has the monopoly over and which the United States needs to acquire for the development of high-tech products such as cell phones, car batteries and so on.

David Willis.