US President Trump's ambition to annex Greenland is now entering an "accelerated phase." The US Arctic Affairs Commissioner Dans, in an exclusive interview with American media, revealed that Trump is advancing the plan at "express train" speed, and significant progress is expected in the coming weeks or months.
● Vance to Host White House Three-Way Talks
The topic of annexing Greenland has shifted from diplomatic rhetoric to substantive negotiations. The White House has confirmed that Vice President Vance will meet with high-level officials from Denmark and Greenland at the White House on the 14th local time. This meeting was originally to be chaired by Secretary of State Rubio, but will now be personally overseen by Vance, which is seen as a signal of the accelerated annexation process.
Although Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen has repeatedly described Trump’s idea as "absurd," emphasizing that Greenland is "not for sale," Dans bluntly stated in an interview with USA Today that Trump will not back down. He criticized Denmark's defense commitments to Greenland as hypocritical, noting that Denmark only has a few old ships in the area with malfunctioning artillery, and is fundamentally unable to stop "Chinese and Russian infiltration."
The report, citing sources familiar with the matter, said that Trump's preferred plan to acquire this mineral-rich Arctic island is a direct purchase or gaining control through other diplomatic means.
In addition, to win over Greenland’s 57,000 residents, the Trump administration is considering several strategies. One of the most controversial proposals is for the US to provide a one-time compensation of $10,000 to $100,000 (40,600 to 405,600 ringgit) to each Greenland citizen, in an attempt to accelerate the local independence movement. Under this model, after Greenland's independence, it would sign a "Free Association Agreement" with the US, under which the US would provide exclusive security guarantees in exchange for territorial control.
Polls show that although most of Greenland's 57,000 residents ultimately want to break away from Denmark, the vast majority do not want Greenland to become America's 51st state.
● Military Seizure Concerns Remain, EU Warns NATO Could Collapse
There are concerns that if diplomatic means fail, Trump may resort to the use of military force. Although Dans claims that the US already controls the local security environment and that a traditional "invasion" does not exist, Trump's repeated refusal to rule out the use of force has made European allies extremely uneasy. EU Defense Commissioner Kubilius warned that if US forces forcibly took over Greenland, it would trigger the most serious crisis in NATO's history, and could even mark the end of the alliance.
According to Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, an attack on any member country is considered an attack against all. However, the treaty does not specify how to handle "a member country attacking another member country." At present, the Danish government has urged Washington to stop making threats and has pledged to invest billions of dollars to enhance Greenland's defense as a sign of its determination to safeguard sovereignty.
● Greenland’s Prime Minister Lays Out "Three Nos" to US
The UK's Guardian reports that, after meeting with Frederiksen in Copenhagen, Greenland's Prime Minister Nielsen issued a statement reiterating that Greenland is not for sale and has "chosen Denmark, not the US." He said, "There is one thing that must be made clear to everyone: Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States, Greenland does not want to be governed by the United States, and Greenland does not want to be a part of the United States."