Recently our “loyal” allies – France, Germany, France, Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands – sent small forces to defend Greenland from U.S. aggression. These forces were intended to make any U.S. military action an attack on multiple NATO members simultaneously, effectively raising the stakes for any “coerced territorial surrender.”

Not to be left out, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland strongly opposed U.S. efforts to acquire Greenland, calling the situation a “rupture in the global order.” Obviously still smoldering over Trump occasionally calling Canada the 51st state, Carney, rising to the heights of hyperbole, warned that the international community is in a “rupture,” not a transition, as great powers move away from a rules-based order toward transnationalism.

After the speech and Carny’s remarks about Canada possibly entering into a trade deal with China the President threatened to impose a 100% tariff on all Canadian goods if Prime Minister Carney proceeds with a Chinese trade deal. Hopefully cooler heads will prevail now that Trump has disavowed the use of military force to take Greenland

What the Prime Minister seemed to forget was that a greater US military presence in Greenland will make Canada more secure as the “Golden Dome” anti-missile system in Greenland would be able to shoot down missiles heading for Ottawa, Toronto and other Canadian cities

He also seems to forget that Canadian forces could play a key role in Greenland. The regular Canadian forces have a reputation for being well trained and experienced in Arctic survival, specialized winter warfare, and patrolling.

All parties including our NATO allies need to understand that Trump did not rise up through the legal, political or academic ranks but through the sometimes wild, and combative world of New York real estate. He is by nature and experience a tough negotiator impatient with circumspect and low key diplomacy.

President Trump understands that Greenland is strategically vital to the West’s security due to its Arctic location. Its location makes it a focal point in the strategic competition among the U.S., Russia, and China, all seeking influence and access in the Arctic. Its location offers a critical platform for Trump’s proposed multi-layer missile defense system called Golden Dome, surveillance of outer space, and monitoring Russian and Chinese military activity. Its position as a hinge of the Greenland-Iceland-UK Gap makes it key for North Atlantic naval control, protecting Arctic shipping routes and gaining access to Greenland’s vast untapped resources, including oil, gas, and rare earth minerals that all add significant economic and geopolitical importance.

Despite the scare stories the national news media tried to sell as fact, Donald Trump’s talk about annexing Greenland was widely seen as a negotiating tactic, to put pressure on Denmark to enter into negotiations but also a serious policy goal tied to national security, strategic resources and an assertion of American dominance in the Arctic against China and Russia. Analysts suggest it’s part of a “madman” bargaining strategy, often appearing irrational but designed to force opponents to concede to avoid escalation. It could also be a way to gauge international reactions and push for greater U.S. involvement in Arctic security and resource extraction. This has grown out of what is now called the “Donroe Doctrine,” a broader assertive foreign policy vision, seeking control over the Western Hemisphere and its resources.

What are the options open to the US for having a greater role in Greenland? One might be a Compact of Free Association which would be similar to arrangements the US has with three Pacific island nations, giving the US control over Greenland’s defense and foreign affairs in exchange for economic support, allowing Greenland to remain functionally sovereign but within the US security umbrella.

Another option might be expansion of our military presence. The US already operates the Pituffik Space Base and has the authority under a 1951 treaty to expand its military footprint, which is an immediately available option.

The US has also floated the idea of directly purchasing the territory, treating it as a real estate acquisition to secure valuable natural resources and prevent Chinese or Russian influence. A precedent for this would be the Truman Administration’s 1951 offer to buy Greenland for $100 million in gold.

The President hears the clock ticking. His impatience grows out of the realization that he has only three years left in office. He began speaking about the importance of Greenland to the West’s security in his first term. The Biden administration dropped the issue, likely because his administration was more intent on hastening illegal border crossings by millions.

The President also knows that on the off chance a Democrat wins the presidency in 2028 that the importance of Greenland will again recede into the background until the day both Russia and China announce they have made deals with Denmark to build new airfields and port facilities for Greenland that are probably suitable for military aircraft, submarines and surface ships.

Thomas Kirkpatrick Sr. is a Silver Creek resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com.