Written by Michael Thervil
Photo by Arctic Circle
Political pundits are wondering what in the world is happening given the statements made by President-Elect Donald Trump when he stated on his social media Truth Social: “For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity”. This statement leads many to ask, “why though?”. In rebuttal Prime Minister Mute Egede of Greenland stated: "Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom”. However, American President-Elect Donald Trump doesn’t see it that way, and here’s why.
The reason why is because not only do the Americans have a military base there, but during Trump’s first term in office he sought to purchase Greenland and was flat out rejected by the Danish government. Hence with Greenland hosting an American base there, it eventually opens the door for the Americans to make claims and offers such as this. Even though the arctic island of Greenland is covered by 80% ice, it has historically been a part of Denmark for well over 600 years. The American military installation “Pituffik Air Base” that operates on the island’s northwest coast currently serves as an early warning center for the Americans as well as a center for strategic air command and aerospace defense.
The one thing that’s clear is that the Danish government really doesn’t want the United States military operating on their soil. Backing our position are the words of Rasmus Jarlov who serves as the head of the Danish parliament's defense committee. He stated: "To the extent that U.S. activities aim to take control of Danish territory, it must be prohibited and countered. Then they can't be there at all”. This statement by Rasmus Jarlov was made on behalf of the Danish parliament even though Greenland has established its independence from the Dutch government.
What you need to know is this, Greenland is ultra rich in natural resources, with much of its natural resources lying dormant beneath its ice. Natural resources such as copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, rare-earth elements, titanium, zinc, iron ore, coal, and graphite. Along with that Greenland has roughly close to 20 billion undiscovered barrels of oil in its possession. With billions in untapped oil and a vast number of natural resources, that’s more than a reason why America is looking to purchase/exploit the Dutch territory for its own end. For many, it’s a great thing that both Greenland and the Dutch had the courage to reject America in this aspect – but the only question that remains is what will it possibly cost Greenland and the Dutch in the future.
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