Greenland is important in the 21st century. In a world of new weapons and advanced technological capabilities, the Arctic is no longer the functional equivalent of Pluto.
America’s adversaries have been working overtime to establish themselves in the region and establish pathways to the Western hemisphere. U.S. President Donald Trump wasn’t kidding about the value of a cold and practically empty rock; he was playing catch-up with Russia and China.
The Europeans didn’t want to hear it. Their mistake.
Yes, he has been loud about the subject. And yes, he was loud at the Davos World Economic Forum. Yes, he had demanded “purchase” of the island and suggested the use of military force. Yes, he threatened to raise tariffs on European countries. Yes, he even suggested that—based on European opposition—he would not necessarily make his decisions on the notion of a “common defense,” i.e., NATO.
That’s how he approaches problems. I wrote in 2025: “The entire second Trump administration has proven, thus far, to be an advertisement for yoga. President Donald Trump throws out a bombshell idea—annexing Canada, invading Panama, emptying Gaza, tariffs on imported air, firing a billion federal workers … and everyone gets hives.”
Or annexing Greenland. The Europeans declared that they would defend the island from Trump. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands sent small contingents of troops to take part in military exercises there. How odd that countries that couldn’t ante up the money they were obligated to spend for NATO defense against Russia suddenly found the funds and troops for Greenland.
Yoga. Breathe. Downward dog.
Then you find out that a lot of countries are open to trade talks; that the Abraham Accords countries have some ideas for Gaza; that the border is closed, safe and secure.
And that NATO might be amenable to American requirements for Greenland.
Following the U.S president’s speech in Davos, in which the threat of tariffs and military action were rescinded, and negotiations were held with Secretary General Mark Rutte of NATO, it seems the actual deal may look more like an expanded defense and resource agreement than an outright transfer of territory.
The Dow surged 1.2%, the S&P 500 gained 1.16%, and the Nasdaq 1.18%. Denmark retains sovereignty and the United States gets sovereign space for military bases, plus mineral rights. The kicker? The NATO statement said: “Negotiations between Denmark, Greenland and the United States will go forward aimed at ensuring that Russia and China never gain a foothold, economically or militarily, in Greenland.”
Yoga. Breathe. Cobra.
Missile defense, mineral rights and broad Arctic defense are the main points. Yes, he still wants title to it (he made that clear), but it is also true that the United States is the country that invests the most in Greenland’s attachment to the West. In 2022, the U.S. Air Force awarded a $4 billion contract for operations, maintenance, logistics and services at the base, and this year allocated $25 million for an infrastructure upgrade of the Pituffik Space Base.
That serves us all. This is a good place to point out that countries tend to fall into stultifying patterns of behavior. In Europe, security, immigration and energy policy top the list. Trump makes that impossible. Check the “two-state solution” in the Middle East for comparison.
A misreading of the 1993 Oslo Accords (which had no provision for Palestinian statehood) prompted governments, including the Israeli government at some points, to ignore whatever hideous machinations and rejections the Palestinian laid on the people of Israel. Palestinian statehood was seen as the essential “first step” toward Arab acceptance of Israel.
Until Trump’s 2020 “Peace to Prosperity” Mideast plan. That allowed Arab states to start the process without waiting for the Palestinians, leaving the Palestinian Authority the possibility of joining later. The cognoscenti laughed. But nine months later, the Abraham Accords were born. And they have survived and expanded, even after the nightmare in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Oct. 7was the end of Israel’s tolerance for the idea of Palestinian independence. But some European leaders, including France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain and Norway, clung to their stock answer: two states. Nothing Hamas did was bad enough to break the mantra. So, Trump created the “Board of Peace,” and, thus far, while none of those countries have joined, representatives of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Pakistan were there, along with Israel’s allies Paraguay, Argentina, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria and Hungary.
You can see how this works.
Trump’s political and security goals are clear and important. But equally important is shaking leaders, whether European or Middle Eastern, out of their stupor and making them face the world. It’s not easy. In fact, it’s scary. But the world will change, no matter what.
Breathe. Triangle. Stretch.
