President Trump ramps up pressure for U.S. control of Greenland

President Donald Trump has ramped up his campaign to acquire Greenland in the coming days. The Arctic island is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, a NATO ally.

In recent days, President Trump has said the U.S. requires the island for national security needs. Despite the heated objections of Greenlanders and the Danes, President Trump has not ruled out taking it by military force.

European allies of Greenland have increased their presence on the island. In response, President Trump has threatened seven E.U. countries and the United Kingdom with new tariffs if they refuse to support American control of Greenland.

Dr. Evelyn Farkas, Executive Director of the McCain Institute, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss these developments.

“President Trump has said he’s concerned about China and Russia somehow gaining an edge militarily in Greenland,” Farkas said. “The second thing that President Trump has complained about is the need for these rare-Earth minerals that are located deep under the snow in Greenland.”

The Arctic ice has been continuously melting, including the Northern Passage, as Russia and China hope to control the Arctic region.

“The reason we have a military is so that we can make sure that there’s freedom of navigation for trade and for the transit of people,” Dr. Farkas said. “We would like to make sure that it is fortified so that Russia and China aren’t flowing their forces in.”

While the U.S. does have a military base in Greenland, there are additional, smaller bases located on the island. The bases were closed after the Cold War ended, when the U.S. thought it wouldn’t face a threat from Moscow. However, the bases can be reopened at any moment.

President Trump initially told European countries those who were against the U.S. purchase of Greenland would receive a tariff.

“The Europeans, though,” Dr. Farkas explained, “they said, ‘Ok, we can tariff you right back,’ and obviously that would be really painful for the United States. They’re our number one trading partner; tech companies, many companies rely on that trade with Europe.”

Dr. Farkas emphasized that if President Trump were to implement these tariffs, it would not only threaten foreign trade but also hurt consumers.

“When it comes to statesmanship,” Dr. Farkas said, “We want these countries to be on our side. Why? Because we have bases all over the world, and those bases protect our commerce, our trade, U.S. interests. The bases are actually relatively low-cost. These allies help us extend our power globally.”