Trump making another attempt to acquire Greenland

A new heated situation has emerged in world politics following the statement made by US President Donald Trump to bring Greenland under his control. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated that acquiring Greenland is extremely important for American security, and that military intervention or other alternative methods are being sought for this purpose.

Trump has expressed his views on controlling Greenland since 2019, and last Monday he stated that the region is essential for national security due to Russian and Chinese naval activities.

Although the White House hinted at the use of military force, US Foreign Minister Marco Rubio says the administration's goal is not to attack Greenland but to buy it from Denmark. However, Trump's senior advisor Stephen Miller emphasizes that Greenland should be part of America to prevent any other country from creating conflicts with the US over this region in the future. He also stated that the American government operates based on power and law.

Responding strongly to these statements, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that if the US attempts to attack Greenland, it would be the end of the NATO military alliance. She points out that an attack by one NATO member country on another would cause the entire system to collapse. European leaders, including Britain, France, and Germany, issued a joint statement asserting that only the people of Greenland and Denmark can decide its future, and that Greenland is not for sale.

The Prime Minister of Greenland also endorsed these views, stating that the American President's talk of military intervention, likening Greenland to a country like Venezuela, is an insult to his people. Greenland is an autonomous territory belonging to Denmark, and Denmark is responsible for its defense and foreign policies. Its population is approximately 57,000.

An American military base has already been established in Greenland. Known as Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base), it is the northernmost military base in America. It houses between 150 and 200 American troops and is used for missile warnings and space surveillance. Additionally, about two hundred Danish military and civilian personnel are stationed in Greenland for search and rescue operations.

There are several main reasons why America shows such interest in Greenland. Geographically, its central location between Europe and North America makes it a very important strategic center militarily. It is an ideal vantage point for monitoring Russian and Chinese activities, especially in the Arctic region. Furthermore, with global warming causing ice to melt, America hopes to control new shipping routes that are opening up and to access rare mineral resources and natural gas, which are heavily controlled by China.

During World War II, Greenland was also militarily crucial. At that time, the central part of the Atlantic Ocean lacked air cover and was known as the "Greenland Air Gap." German U-boats exploited this vulnerability to attack Allied ships, and later, the construction of bases in Greenland helped fill that defensive gap. Even eight decades later, critics say that acquiring Greenland would be an extremely critical factor in asserting power in the Atlantic region in a future world war.