The cold war over Greenland: Denmark is arming itself in the face of Donald Trump’s threats

The media in Denmark reported that the government offered to purchase two new ships to carry out monitoring missions in the Arctic and increase dog sled patrols, in order to strengthen its military presence in Greenland, while the president-elect Donald Trump set his eyes on the island.

The Danish Broadcasting Authority and “TV2” reported yesterday that the Danish government even offered to upgrade the Kangerlussuaq airport, a former American military base in western Greenland, so that it could receive F-35 fighter jets. Denmark has already allocated 400 million dollars for the deployment of long-range UAVs in the Arctic and North Atlantic.

This week, Trump once again expressed his hope to take control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous region in the Arctic belonging to Denmark, which the president-elect sees as vital to American security. Although Denmark is responsible for Greenland’s security and defense, its military capabilities on the island are not limited. Today they include four old inspection ships, a Challenger model patrol plane and 12 dog sleds.

Prime Minister of Greenland, Motsi Boorup is a legend said yesterday that the residents of the region rich in minerals are not interested in becoming Americans. However, he noted that he understands Trump’s interest in the island due to its strategic location, and expressed a willingness to increase cooperation with Washington. His comments came after Trump stated earlier this week that he does not rule out using force or economic pressure to make Greenland part of the United States.

Agada admitted that Greenland is part of North America and “a place that Americans see as part of their world.” He added that he has not yet spoken with Trump, but he is open to discussions about “what unites us”. It should be noted that Agada calls for the independence of Greenland and presents Denmark as a colonial power, claiming that it has not always treated the Inuit (Eskimo) inhabitants of the region properly.

“Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people. We don’t want to be Danes, and we don’t want to be Americans. We want to be Greenlanders,” Agada said at a press conference in Copenhagen yesterday, with the Prime Minister of Denmark by his side Mada Fredriksen.