In case of attack by the US, their troops would be effectively stranded in enemy territory, in particular their nukes.
I doubt that the US would invade Greenland without first pulling out of Europe (unless they do an all-out attack with also the troops in continental Europe, but that is something i doubt even Trump would do)
They will play the same game as Russia. They will not annex the whole of Greenland and will try to keep the intensity below that which would justify a full-scale armed conflict.
They will claim to annex only the territory of the American bases, then it will be a 10-mile strip around the bases, access to the sea, airspace, the exclusive economic zone, etc.
They can play this game for months and years if we let them.
Crimea came under Russian control because it was home to Russia's largest naval base, Simferopol.
I wouldn't describe Trump as seriously wanting to take over Greenland. Vs. being kinda desperate to talk big, get headlines, flex his ego, and distract folks from his domestic problems & waning voter approval numbers.
Obviously, that's no assurance that he won't actually try to do it. But I think he and his inner circle are quite aware that taking it would mostly remove "talk big about taking Greenland" from his rhetorical toolbox. While providing endless opportunities for Trump to look bad, for having "conquered" an undefended, high-maintenance block of ice.
- Greenland and Denmark don't want to sell to the US.
- Denmark is a close ally of the US, and is a NATO member.
If the US decides that the only way to get Greenland is to take it by force, than that's the end of NATO. And it will usher in a new and unprecedented time where Europe will treat the US as hostiles. Whatever values US hopes to extract from Greenland via their natural resources will absolutely pale in comparison to the new economic world that springs up.
And even if by some miniscule chance the US manages convince the majority of Greenlanders that they should break off from Denmark, and sell to the US, they can pretty much set the price. Or it's up to the above point.
Even more important: Trump and his cronies will be long tone until anything would materialize.
This is nothing but Trump wanting to make a huge splash before he fades away. Even if there are billionaires working behind the scene, I fully expect a future non-MAGA president to completely abandon any idea of annexing Greenland, and work on repairing the damage that Trump has done to international relations.
Doing a surgical strike on a known enemy of the US / ally of Russia and China (Maduro and Venezuela) is one thing. Going to war with allies and destroying NATO is a completely different matter.
8 comments
[ 4.8 ms ] story [ 29.8 ms ] threadI almost cannot conceive that it would happen.
However, if it does, the EU would have to force all US military personnel stationed on the bases across the EU to leave the region.
I doubt that the US would invade Greenland without first pulling out of Europe (unless they do an all-out attack with also the troops in continental Europe, but that is something i doubt even Trump would do)
They will claim to annex only the territory of the American bases, then it will be a 10-mile strip around the bases, access to the sea, airspace, the exclusive economic zone, etc.
They can play this game for months and years if we let them. Crimea came under Russian control because it was home to Russia's largest naval base, Simferopol.
Obviously, that's no assurance that he won't actually try to do it. But I think he and his inner circle are quite aware that taking it would mostly remove "talk big about taking Greenland" from his rhetorical toolbox. While providing endless opportunities for Trump to look bad, for having "conquered" an undefended, high-maintenance block of ice.
- Greenland and Denmark don't want to sell to the US.
- Denmark is a close ally of the US, and is a NATO member.
If the US decides that the only way to get Greenland is to take it by force, than that's the end of NATO. And it will usher in a new and unprecedented time where Europe will treat the US as hostiles. Whatever values US hopes to extract from Greenland via their natural resources will absolutely pale in comparison to the new economic world that springs up.
And even if by some miniscule chance the US manages convince the majority of Greenlanders that they should break off from Denmark, and sell to the US, they can pretty much set the price. Or it's up to the above point.
Even more important: Trump and his cronies will be long tone until anything would materialize.
This is nothing but Trump wanting to make a huge splash before he fades away. Even if there are billionaires working behind the scene, I fully expect a future non-MAGA president to completely abandon any idea of annexing Greenland, and work on repairing the damage that Trump has done to international relations.
Doing a surgical strike on a known enemy of the US / ally of Russia and China (Maduro and Venezuela) is one thing. Going to war with allies and destroying NATO is a completely different matter.