Could Trump take Greenland by force?

[Greenkindness]

I would like to think he couldn’t, but could he? Would he basically invade it if he couldn’t buy it? Would the UK defend it as part of NATO?

Could he also take the Panama Canal?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gzn48jwz2o

I’m hoping it’s all distraction politics but I also think Trump and his cronies are stupid and dangerous people.

How is Greenland needed to protect America from Russia? In between America and Greenland and Russia is Canada on one side and Europe on the other. Meanwhile, Alaska practically touches Russia.

And China can't get anywhere near Greenland without also going past Alaska.

And the saying "your enemy's enemy isn't your friend" is coming to mind. Is Trump "let's invade Greenland" and better than Putin "let's invade Ukraine". China even haven't invaded anyone yet.

Trump and co obviously want Greenland for its resources.

One of the alarming things about all this (for me) is that although America has always been imperialist, it used to dress up its imperialism with excuses. 'It's not oil, Saddam Hussein is a very bad man' (forget that you supported him when it was convenient). Trump and his mates don't care about all that. Morality is out the window. Matt Walsh today: 'when a country expands its territory, its a sign it's healthy and thriving'.

A globe might give you a different perspective

I have been looking at a globe. The land mass next to Greenland is Canada. Alaska is on the far side.

Oh, I very much doubt it! I just don't think people should have illusions about the reality.

Nevertheless as has been mentioned by others for many decades the US has had a military base (major radar facility plus a large runway plus lots more ) at Thule.

It gives their early warning system a look “over the top” for missile launches from Russia and has acted as a forward operating base for their strategic bomber force.

Doesn’t matter what we think here about maps or even the globe, the US certainly consider Greenland, or at least a military presence on it, as being of military/strategic importance.

Edited

Greenland is useful territory for a base very near Russia, And it's not too far from the South of Greenland to the USA.

Denmark does pay Greenland quite a huge sum of money to run the country and Greenland has a large degree of freedom.
No need to blame Denmark that Greenland has a very different language and culture than Denmark has.

The US under Trump is the biggest threat to Europe. A much bigger threat than Russia or China.

For those who still believe in stuff like "freedom", just a reminder that China has never invaded a country. It's been invaded by Europeans, Americans and Japanese, all committing atrocities that "somehow" the western press always forget when they talk about "Chinese threat".

Russia was essential for allied forces to win WWII. "Something" that was forgotten during the cold war when America exerted the biggest ideology in allied countries to expand their control over global resources.

Just as it's forgotten that America has been the only country to drop atomic bombs on civilians (Japan), or use chemical weapons like Napalm on civilians in Vietnam causing devastating effects on children and consequent generations, while invading countries like Iraq because they told us it had chemical weapons, which was a lie.

Trump clearly said in his first term he wanted to dismantled NATO and "buy" Greenland. He stopped a visit to Denmark when the Danish' government laughed at his comment. Things have changed since then.'

He didn't have control of Congress and Senate like he does now. And his threats are escalating. He wants Greenland, Canada and the Panama Canal and is refusing to back down from using military intervention to get what he wants.

Europe is a sitting duck after years of boot licking the US foot. Some countries in Europe have been calling for an European Defence force but with UK, the first US trojan horse, followed by right wing eastern European politicians sharing the same Trump ideology, Europe has done nothing but look the other way. The problem is we are now facing a US turning into a foe because its president is a despot, giving shit about old friends alliances. He wants the dwindling global resources to turn a stagnant US economy owing trillions of dollars into "making America great again" at any cost.

Keep thinking the US is your friend.

Yep the first test will be what he does with Ukraine, you can bet your last $ that this will be another that will be turned onto Labour.

Trump now saying NATO must pay 5% of GDP to defence, thats not possible, thats levels we rarely reached at the height of the cold war.

But a perfect excuse to take the USA out of NATO and the USA does what it wants, inc Greenland and even Canada.

For those who still believe in stuff like "freedom", just a reminder that China has never invaded a country.

Isn't that open to interpretation, though? Look at Tibet, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the current treatment of the Uyghir people.

This is an interesting take. I feel like something has shifted compared to 2016.

I'm not sure Trump will face as much internal resistance as we might think. Some performative resistance from a few democrats and outlying republicans but ultimately America retaining its superpower status serves the interests of many regardless of party affiliation.

I do wonder if Trump is going to be allowed to be the bad guy doing bad guy stuff because when the seat of power flips again it's a case of 'it wasn't me guv but it sure is useful we now control these resources'.

Maybe that's just cynical?

Tibet was never a country neither is Taiwan, nor HK....

All either not recognised as such by the vast vast majority of the UN and/or signed over peacefully.

Its not open to interpretation at all.

The treatment of the Uyghir is a separate issue all together.

Ukraine is another reason why American politics interfere in countries beyond their "border safety" to exert control over global resources. The US interfered in bringing down an elected government in Ukraine, pouring millions into destabilising an elected government for their own agenda. The fact that the majority of us in Europe and the UK are faced with higher living standards costs since then, it's not acknowledged at all in the press. A press that sold out long ago to companies owned by billion dollar business with an agenda. An agenda for which all of us are simply numbers.

Services are being eroded. Food, electricity and housing are becoming so expensive people working two jobs often have to limit what they expend. And this is in Europe, in America is much worse.

Got to laugh about you blaming Labour after barely 6 months in the job. You are buying into the same shit, you read. After 12 years of Tory government, it takes time to understand what a new government has been left to deal with. But the press in the UK, with Elon Musk being very vocal about it, wants a newly formed Labour government out.

At some point, we all need to look beyond ideology and see what's been happening in global geopolitics, especially now.

Tibet absolutely was and is a country, you complete deranged mentalist.

True it's definitely not an island paradise by any means but becoming an American state with no benefits & a short term cash infusion & let's face it a crises once the natural resources are drained because Donald Trump "made them an offer" is a ridiculous prospect though.

They'd only ever be better off leveraging any interest against Denmark

The Greenland-Iceland-UK Gap is critical for strategic control of access to the North Atlantic.

Tibet is a country that has been invaded by China.

Hong Kong has always been a Chinese owned island. Britain leased it from China and when the lease ran out the U.K. government handed it back.

Taiwan is part of the Chinese revolution. The incumbent government plus supporters fled to Taiwan when the revolutionaries took over. This is why some say Taiwan is the true China and why it is a bone of contention with the mainland Chinese government.

For those who still believe in stuff like "freedom", just a reminder that China has never invaded a country.
How wrong can you be?

Trump likes throwing in grenades to see who he can ruffle and what the reaction will be. He knows full well that Egede, Greenland's PM is keen to have more independence from Denmark. He also knows that Greenland couldn't possibly afford to be independent of Denmark on its own. So, he has lobbed his grenade to see what the fallout will be. It is a clever tactic. Interestingly the Danish haven't told him he is mad or it must be an April Fool like they did back in 2019! They know full well that they have to tread carefully here. Egede must be feeling gleeful as it will give him bargaining power with Denmark.

In answer to @Greenkindness the likelihood of the US invading Greenland by force is pretty much zero IMO.

For background the image below shows, the straight line, shortest flight route (aircraft or ballistic missile) between Murmansk and Chicago. Murmansk and the parts of Russia adjacent to it were/are home to some of Russia's Long Range Bomber Force.

The geography doesn't excuse what Trump says he'd like to do but hopefully it helps explains why the US likes a radar presence in the Far North and some of the claimed military significance of Greenland to the US.

This 'offer they can't refuse' I assumed was just cash for every Greenlander who voted to join the US as a state.
39,000 adults. Would you vote to become a US state for say, a million dollars?

Why?
You could spend a lot of time and energy working out possible scenarios for a Trump government but you'd be wasting your time. He doesn't mean alot of what he says - it is said to provoke a reaction (working isn't it). Let's face it, nothing really bad happened last time, did it?

All that map shows is, as you say, why the US wants an early warning site there and to prevent Greenland from falling into Russia's hands.

The US already has that base and Russia is not going to invade Greenland.

Long range bombers are pretty much irrelevant given Russia's large arsenal of ICBMs. If they were to become relevant somehow then we're in WW3 time and having Greenland isn't saving the day.

There is no strategic value to seizing Greenland, it's not necessary for defence and would damage US security by destroying NATO and emboldening China.