Trump appoints special envoy to Greenland
'We have to have it.' With these words, US President Donald Trump has once again laid claim to Greenland, citing national security as the rationale for the renewed push. He has appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as his special envoy for Greenland. The prime ministers of Greenland and Denmark responded with a statement saying, among other things, that they expect the US to show 'respect for our common territorial integrity'.
This time he has gone too far
Despite its dependence on the US, Denmark must take decisive action against Trump, Jydske Vestkysten stresses:
“It's so outrageous that it makes you want to take up arms – at least rhetorically. This is undoubtedly how most Danes feel, and certainly how our government feels. However, we are so dependent on the US in many ways – militarily, economically and technologically – that we must try to improve relations, or at least not worsen them. But this doesn't alter the fact that we must make it crystal clear to Trump that he has gone too far.”
No more cowering
Berlingske would like to see the government in Copenhagen take a more assertive stance:
“It is unlikely that the red carpet will be rolled out for Governor Jeff Landry when he ventures to Greenland as special envoy. Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen summoned the new American ambassador, Ken Howery, for talks on Monday and declared that he was 'deeply angered' by the appointment and the statement, which he found 'totally unacceptable'. That is a step forward. Denmark can no longer cower or look away when the US and Donald Trump make new aggressive manoeuvres with the aim of conquering 98 percent of the kingdom's territory.”
Stubbornness and obsession rule
This appointment is a symbolic gesture aimed at reaffirming Trump's claim to power, writes Visão:
“Trump wants Greenland, just as he wants Canada. Completely. Out of conviction. Out of stubbornness. Out of obsession. To demonstrate his goodwill – that oh-so elastic word – he has appointed a special envoy to negotiate with Copenhagen. A civilised gesture. Almost diplomatic. One pretends to show goodwill when there is already an American airbase there. And whoever has a base is always right. What will the special envoy do? Not much. Not much at all. Perhaps nothing at all. He will confine himself to announcing that Greenland will soon become sovereign American territory.”
A challenge for Nato partners
In Svenska Dagbladet, former conservative MEP Gunnar Hökmark calls on Sweden and the NATO allies to stand by Copenhagen:
“Together with our European and Canadian allies, we should ensure that Denmark receives the necessary support to make clear that Copenhagen, with NATO support, has military control over Greenland. If the US wants to become an isolationist nation whose view of the international legal order aligns with that of Russia and China, we cannot influence that. It is a civilisational decline in the White House that we must contend with. But as far as Greenland is concerned, we must do what our alliance demands.”
The race for rare earths
The US is after the rare minerals that are indispensable for modern technologies, explains La Stampa:
“Washington sees Greenland as an inexhaustible 'mine' for gas, oil and, above all, critical raw materials. An estimated 25 of the 30 critical raw materials are found there. The race to exploit these resources before China gets to them is one the US cannot afford to lose, as Beijing currently extracts 60 percent of the available rare earths on its own territory. This is a competitive advantage that the White House believes it can offset, in part, by acquiring Greenland. However, Greenland remains a very difficult area to exploit.”