Officials from Greenland and Denmark have met in Washington with top White House officials as President Donald Trump moved to ratchet up the pressure by suggesting that NATO should help the U.S. acquire the world’s largest island.
I don’t know what kind of authority Greenland / Denmark would have to expel all US personnel from Greenland, but given there are US military bases there, I imagine there might be some contractual issues.
As an alternative, at this point, I think they should be blockading those bases, and searching any vehicle going into or out of it for supply reasons. Also institute a no fly zone over their base so they can’t just air drop stuff in.
No net new personnel going into the base (staffing swaps maybe… like 1 in 1 out). No new weapons allowed.
If Trump was going to try something, you don’t want them being able to prep those bases to assist with the assult any more than they already can, and you want them locked down with defences in their pathway before anything starts.
I don’t know what kind of authority Greenland / Denmark would have to expel all US personnel from Greenland, but given there are US military bases there, I imagine there might be some contractual issues.
I have a feeling trump is willing to call the “Denmark will put boots on the ground to forcibly expel/kill the invaders” (what I unfortunately suspect would be a) bluff.
He knows the Europeans will put up a token, face-saving resistance but have no enthusiasm for a full-on shooting war. Unfortunately this may be a correct assessment. But Europe and its allies still have the power to disrupt the US economy, and should seriously plan to do so if the US doesn’t back off.
I don’t know what kind of authority Greenland / Denmark would have to expel all US personnel from Greenland, but given there are US military bases there, I imagine there might be some contractual issues.
As an alternative, at this point, I think they should be blockading those bases, and searching any vehicle going into or out of it for supply reasons. Also institute a no fly zone over their base so they can’t just air drop stuff in.
No net new personnel going into the base (staffing swaps maybe… like 1 in 1 out). No new weapons allowed.
If Trump was going to try something, you don’t want them being able to prep those bases to assist with the assult any more than they already can, and you want them locked down with defences in their pathway before anything starts.
Ask Cuba how that went.
Cuba was a stones throw away, and didn’t have the military capabilities of Denmark.
I have a feeling trump is willing to call the “Denmark will put boots on the ground to forcibly expel/kill the invaders” (what I unfortunately suspect would be a) bluff.
He knows the Europeans will put up a token, face-saving resistance but have no enthusiasm for a full-on shooting war. Unfortunately this may be a correct assessment. But Europe and its allies still have the power to disrupt the US economy, and should seriously plan to do so if the US doesn’t back off.
Bluff or not, I believe you are correct.