EU troops in Greenland ‘makes good sense’ and would ship Trump a ‘sturdy sign’
Sources close to Donald Trump claim he shared a ‘tense’ conversation with the Prime Minster of Greenland, leading the military body of the EU to claim a united army in the country might be valuable
A top military official from the European Union said placing troops in Greenland to put Trump off attacking “makes perfect sense”.
Robert Brieger, chairman of the European Union Military Committee, believes a united European Union army would send a strong message to Trump, who has been showing an interest in acquiring the land after being sworn in as president. He wants to take over the mineral-rich island as its rapidly melting ice sheets open it up to mining. Trump declared over the weekend “I think we’re going to have it” following what sources described as a “fiery phone call” with the prime minister of its current owner Denmark.
But the EU is not too keen to hand it over to the US, as revealed by Brieger, who spoke to German newspaper Welt am Sonntag. He is worried about a shift into conflict in what was an otherwise “peaceful region.”
“In my view, it would make perfect sense not only to station U.S. forces in Greenland, as is currently the case, but also to consider stationing EU soldiers there,” he revealed.
“That would send a strong signal and could contribute to stability in the region,” Brieger continued. “Ultimately, however, this is a political decision in which many interests must be taken into account.”
Despite the huge claims by Trump, Britain has a 108-year-old “right-to-buy” clause for Greenland. It means the country is in poll position to acquire the island.
According to the last Danish minister for the Arctic island Tom Høyem – Denmark’s representative in Greenland from 1982 to 1987 – the undertaking dated from 1917 when America first failed in a bid to buy the island. The UK stepped in as Greenland lies only a few miles from Canada which was then a British dominion.
It was therefore logical “that the British said they would have the first right to buy”, said Høyem, 83. However, he insisted that the island will always be Danish.
Over the weekend, Trump had a tough discussion with Danish PM Mette Frederiksen during which he was aggressive, confrontational and threatened him with targeted trade tariffs, sources told the Financial Times. Frederiksen’s office said it did “not recognise the interpretation of the conversation”.
It has also been claimed that Trump did not rule out taking over the island by “force.” Melting ice sheets have raised interest in oil drilling and mining for copper, lithium, cobalt and nickel. Melting Arctic ice is also opening up new shipping routes making alternatives to the Suez canal.
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