The 50-minute meeting between Denmark and the US to see if Trump can buy Greenland has not gone well. That’s the bad thing about insisting on going back to the 19th century, when buying pieces of the map with people inside was common, only with 21st century weapons. But the meeting hasn’t gone completely bad either. At least no one has invaded anything new. Still.
Donald Trump remains determined to annex Greenland by hook or by crook. Denmark has told him as diplomatically as possible that it is not for sale. But when the man who commands the most powerful army in the world acts like a moonshiner, this is not very reassuring.
The Danish Government, for the moment, has announced a reinforcement of the military presence in Greenland. There are memes circulating about this that show a large landing of Lego pieces to surround the island. Before, the Russians had to work hard to destabilize the West. Since Trump has returned, he has taken care of it himself.
And what can Europe do? Something has changed these days with the sudden US military incursion into Venezuela. Trump’s threat to take over Greenland one way or another is no longer seen as an afterthought, nor a boast.
It is a direct threat to the national security of an EU and NATO country of 6 million inhabitants that obviously can do little alone to defend itself, but which cannot tolerate the United States threatening to annex part of its territory while ignoring its inhabitants.
But Denmark is not alone. It is in the EU. Will Europe react? The question is whether Trump is deterred more by sucking up to him or standing up to him. And the ball thing is not working. Some analysts say that Europe should offer Greenland EU membership to protect it more. Others advocate breaking relations with the US and imposing trade sanctions and even rethinking its military bases.
The price of confronting Trump can be very high. The price of not doing it, too.
Moral?
With Trump, the Conqueror
The risk is increasing
