President Donald Trump could seize Greenland from Denmark within “a matter of hours” as tensions between Europe and the USA escalate.
Following his capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, Trump has reiterated his desire for Greenland to become part of the United States for security reasons.
However, standing in Trump’s way is the fact that Greenland is a semi-autonomous region of America’s NATO ally Denmark. Nevertheless, this hasn’t stopped officials warning that the military could be used to seize the territory by force.
In a statement on Tuesday, the White House said: “The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the US military is always an option at the Commander-in-Chief’s disposal.”
With the potential of a geopolitical clash between two members of NATO a very real possibility, one expert has told the Express that in the event of said clash, the US would win in a matter of hours.
King’s College London’s Dr Georgios Samaras warned: “If Trump were to attempt to take Greenland, the likeliest route would be political and coercive rather than an overt military assault.
“A direct attack on Danish territory would trigger an acute crisis inside NATO, and allies would probably prioritise de-escalation and containment over immediate military confrontation with the US.
“Even so, if a military move happened, the initial seizure of key sites could be a matter of hours; the real uncertainty would be the political fallout afterwards.”
Dr Georgios’ warnings come following a build-up of American aerial assets at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, including 10 C-17 Globemasters. Meanwhile, two AC-130J Ghostrider gunships landed at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk.
Whilst some of these aircraft have moved east to Ramstein, Germany, many have stayed put, leading to speculation about where they are actually heading with the USA also having an airbase in Iceland in the form of Naval Air Station Keflavik, under 1,000 miles from Greenland.
On what the aerial build-up could signify, Dr Georgios suggested it could either be performative or part of something greater. He said: “They’re not necessarily planning to use them, as seen in Venezuela where they launched a top-secret midnight mission to kidnap Maduro.
“While I’d call it performative militarism the timing is also sensitive following Trump’s threats. In that sense, yes it could be about Greenland.”
In response to Trump’s threat to annex Greenland, Europe and the UK have backed Denmark.
In a statement, the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Denmark, and Spain said: « Greenland belongs to its people, and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations. »
In response, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the support, calling it “respectful dialogue”. He added: “The dialogue must take place with respect for the fact that Greenland’s status is rooted in international law and the principle of territorial integrity.”
Source link
