Trump wants Greenland

[Magical Realist]

Hmm..wonder how many untapped oil reserves Greenland has? Maybe around 30 billion barrels? Denmark gives Trump an eloquent response:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1214368280021028

[Syne]

Denmark and Greenland sure aren't developing those oil reserves. Harsh conditions in the largely offshore areas make it dangerous and costly.
But sure, Denmark might as well just sit on them, like people accuse the rich of just sitting on wealth, right?

But that's not even the primary reason.

Yes, the U.S. provides defense for Greenland through a 1951 treaty with Denmark, operating the Pituffik Space Base for NATO missile defense, with Denmark relying on U.S. security due to its own limited capabilities, though recent discussions involve potential increased U.S. presence and heightened security concerns in the Arctic.
- Google AI

We're already footing the bill.

[Magical Realist]

Why is the military defense of what is basically one huge arctic wasteland so important? Oil again. I don't see Trump developing any resorts there any time soon.

[Syne]

Greenland’s location is key

Greenland sits off the northeastern coast of Canada, with more than two-thirds of its territory lying within the Arctic Circle. That has made it crucial to the defense of North America since World War II, when the U.S. occupied Greenland to ensure it didn’t fall into the hands of Nazi Germany and to protect crucial North Atlantic shipping lanes.

Following the Cold War, the Arctic was largely an area of international cooperation. But climate change is thinning the Arctic ice, promising to create a northwest passage for international trade and reigniting competition with Russia, China and other countries over access to the region’s mineral resources.

Security threats

In 2018, China declared itself a “near-Arctic state” in an effort to gain more influence in the region. China has also announced plans to build a “Polar Silk Road” as part of its global Belt and Road Initiative, which has created economic links with countries around the world.

Then U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rejected China’s move, saying: “Do we want the Arctic Ocean to transform into a new South China Sea, fraught with militarization and competing territorial claims?”

Meanwhile, Russia has sought to assert its influence over wide areas of the Arctic in competition with the U.S., Canada, Denmark and Norway. Moscow has also sought to boost its military presence in the polar region, home to its Northern Fleet and a site where the Soviet Union tested nuclear weapons. Russian military officials have said that the site is ready for resuming the tests, if necessary.

Russia’s military has been restoring old Soviet infrastructure in the Arctic and building new facilities. Since 2014, the Russian military has opened several military bases in the Arctic and worked on reconstructing airfields.

European leaders’ concerns have been heightened since Russia launched a war in Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
- https://apnews.com/article/greenland-den...7d55b26ece

It's important for international trade routes and limiting Chinese and Russian influence further afield, both a concern of Europe, Canada, Denmark, Norway, and the US.

[Magical Realist]

The whole American strategy to occupy land in order to prevent a surprise invasion from the Russians died out when the Cold War ended. Nobody's sitting in towers in the freezing Arctic scanning the waters for Russian warships and nobody will. If Russia wanted to attack us, they'd use long range nuclear missiles. It's all about oil, just as it's always been.

[Syne]

Take that up with the AP.

[Magical Realist]

Couldn't have said it better:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1394457535738278

[Syne]

People taking out of ignorance of how long the US has already protected them.... thinking their safety is the natural state of things.

[Magical Realist]

So countries that were allies of the US during wars owe them whole vast stretches of their oil rich lands? Don't think that was in the fine print.

[Syne]

Correction: oil rich offshore, not lands.

No... and if Europe and other counties weren't equally concerned about Russia, we could withdraw and let them find out the hard way what our presence meant.

But as it stands, that would be internationally irresponsible. Maybe Europe would like to pitch in on our protection there, if no one wants Denmark/Greenland to do so.