How Far Will Trump Go to Get Greenland?
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What prompted President Trump to pursue Greenland?
Over the weekend, President Trump got a message. It was about Greenland.
Trump received a text message from the prime minister of Norway saying, let's hold on, let's have a chat and talk this through ostensibly.
That's our colleague Max Colchester, who's been following the story.
And Trump replies with this amazing message, essentially saying that because he was snubbed by the Nobel Prize Committee, he's no longer committed to the pursuit of peace and that he should take control of Greenland.
On Monday, the exchange went public. It was just one example of a European leader scrambling to deal with Trump's renewed push to control Greenland, which is part of Denmark. And it raised the question of whether the U.S. would turn to military force to help him get it, especially after comments the president made earlier this month.
We're not going to have Russia or China occupy Greenland, and that's what they're going to do if we don't.
How are European leaders reacting to Trump's Greenland proposal?
So we're going to be doing something with Greenland either the nice way or the more difficult way.
We've seen a significant escalation in the rhetoric around Greenland. We've seen him come out and say, America needs Greenland for national security reasons, and anyone who stands in my way of getting it will be punished.
Now, Europe is wondering if the U.S. is turning from a steadfast ally into an urgent threat.
This is potentially a huge deal, which could see a reshaping of the transatlantic relationship between Europe and America.
Welcome to The Journal, our show about money, business, and power. I'm Jessica Mendoza. It's Tuesday, January 20th.
Coming up on the show, the diplomatic rupture between the U.S.
What are the national security implications of controlling Greenland?
and Europe over Greenland.
President Trump has had his eye on Greenland since his first term. And since getting reelected, he's put the issue front and center. At first, Trump expressed interest in buying the island. Denmark, which controls Greenland, said it wasn't for sale. Here's Danish Prime Minister Meta Fredriksen.
Greenland is today a part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It's a part of our territory. And it's not for sale.
European Union leaders stood behind Denmark.
What is the significance of the EU sending troops to Greenland?
And for a while, that was that. But then, early this month, Trump made a big geopolitical move that stunned the world. The US captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and that signaled he was serious about a new era of foreign policy.
But it was in the wake of that action in Venezuela that everyone said, well, if you're willing to take that kind of action in Venezuela, what would you do about Greenland? And he then came back and said, well, actually, yeah, we need Greenland. And so now suddenly this was a U.S. leader who was willing to take those kinds of risks.
Trump frames the argument for U.S. control of Greenland as an issue of national security. The island is a potentially rich source of rare earth minerals, which are crucial for everything from magnets to chips to defense systems.
How did Trump respond to the EU's military presence in Greenland?
Trump also points to increased Russian military presence in the Arctic and says that the region will be at the center of the next global power struggle.
We have to have it. They have to have this done. They can't protect it. Denmark, they're wonderful people. And I know the leaders, they're very good people, but they don't even go there.
What Trump was saying in his argument for controlling Greenland is that essentially the EU and Denmark in particular doesn't have the financial muscle to actually defend Greenland or protect the Arctic. So that's the premise of this.
Then, on January 15th, the EU sent a contingent of troops to Greenland. The idea, according to Max's reporting, was to show Trump that they were willing and able to defend the region.
What economic tools does the EU have against U.S. pressure?
Troops arriving in Greenland. The Danish military just posting these images that we're showing you of troops arriving in Greenland.
And it wasn't a very big contingent. It was a few dozen soldiers from a handful of European countries. And they arrived. And the way some European officials now see it is that Trump saw that not as a show of strength by Europe, as a sort of an antagonistic move by Europe to basically tell him to back off.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What prompted President Trump to pursue Greenland?
0:03–1:06
2
How are European leaders reacting to Trump's Greenland proposal?
1:06–2:07
3
What are the national security implications of controlling Greenland?
2:07–2:56
4
What is the significance of the EU sending troops to Greenland?
2:56–3:47
5
How did Trump respond to the EU's military presence in Greenland?
3:47–4:39
6
What economic tools does the EU have against U.S. pressure?
4:39–5:34
7
What do Greenlanders think about becoming part of the U.S.?
5:34–6:39
8
What are the potential outcomes of the Davos meeting regarding Greenland?
6:39–17:11