The Svalbard proof Trump wants Greenland for dollars, not defense |
President Donald Trump dishonors the United States and Denmark, one of America’s most loyal allies, with his threats that the Danish territory of Greenland must be transferred to American ownership. Denmark deserves better.
So do Americans.
After all, Trump says that the U.S. needs Greenland to prevent the Russian and Chinese domination of, and military threats from, the Arctic. It is absolutely true that those threats are real. But the president is not being honest with the public. It is clear that he wants Greenland not for its security potential, but rather for its rich energy and rare earth mineral reserves. The proof of this is Svalbard.
More specifically, the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard.
Located in Arctic bordering waters north of Russia, Svalbard would provide extraordinary strategic value to U.S. efforts to better secure the Arctic region. And while Norway does not currently allow for the basing of military forces on Svalbard’s islands, were........