BBC Analysis: How Trump Could Take Over Greenland

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Donald Trump wants to take over Greenland and the White House has said that all options are being considered, including the use of military force.

US President Donald Trump has once again expressed his interest in taking control of Greenland, the world's largest island. The White House has already said that all options are being considered, including the use of military force. In such a situation, the fear of such a conflict between two members of the military alliance NATO has created deep concern in world politics. The question arises - if Trump really wants to 'take over' Greenland, how is it possible? Military operation, buying it from Denmark or some other political strategy - all possibilities are now under discussion.

The BBC says that Donald Trump wants to take over Greenland and the White House has said that all options are being considered, including the use of military force. Although military action is only one of the economic and political options, such a move by one NATO member against another would create a nightmare situation for the alliance and could put the very existence of the military alliance in question.

President Trump, however, has repeatedly said that Greenland is very important to US national security. Without providing any evidence, he has claimed that the island is “full of Russian and Chinese ships”. In such a situation, the BBC has tried to examine what options Trump might consider to occupy Greenland, based on the analysis of experts from the US, the UK and Denmark, and what the reasoning behind them might be.

Military action

According to defense analysts, occupying Greenland through a quick military operation could be relatively easy for the US, but its political and diplomatic consequences would be dire. Despite its geographical size, Greenland has a population of only about 58,000. One-third of this population lives in the capital, Nuuk, and most of the rest live on the west coast.

Greenland does not have its own army. Denmark is responsible for the defense of the island, but their air and naval capabilities are limited for such a large area. The Danish special forces ‘Serious Patrol’ are responsible for maintaining law and order in the vast area, which mainly patrol using dog sleds. However, in the past year, Denmark has significantly increased defense spending in the Arctic and North Atlantic regions, especially in Greenland.

Due to its large size, small population and military weakness, Greenland could be a relatively easy target for the United States. In the meantime, more than a hundred US troops are permanently stationed at the Pitufik base in northwest Greenland. If necessary, this base can be used as a logistics center for future operations. After the Nazis occupied Denmark during World War II, the United States sent troops to Greenland and established military and radio stations, and this base has existed there since then.

According to Danish security expert and head of Risk Intelligence Hans Tino Hansen, the Alaska-based US 11th Airborne Division could be the main force in the occupation of Greenland. This division has two Arctic brigades and will be supported by air and naval forces.

Justin Crump, a British Army Reserve officer and security risk analyst, said that the US naval forces are huge and they can deploy large numbers of troops in a short time. According to him, it is possible to send a number of troops at once that could be more than the population. He said that the operation, although brutal, would probably be bloodless, because the likelihood of major resistance is low.

However, according to former US officials and defense analysts, a military operation would be highly unusual due to the far-reaching impact on relations with Europe. Former Marine and CIA officer Mick Mulroy said that it would be a complete violation of international law. In his words, Greenland is not a threat to the US, but rather a treaty ally.

He also said that if the White House moves on the military path, members of Congress can try to stop the president by using the 'War Powers Act'. According to him, there will be no support in Congress for the dissolution of NATO.

Buying Greenland

The United States can buy the island from Denmark to gain control of Greenland without going through the military path. There have also been hints from the United States. However, despite the US's economic capabilities, both the island's capital Nuuk and the Danish capital Copenhagen have made it clear that Greenland is not for sale.

However, according to a CBS report, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told members of Congress that the administration's preferred path is to buy Greenland. However, implementing such a deal is very complicated. Congress would have to approve the money and a two-thirds majority in the Senate would be required to implement any deal. Experts believe that this would be difficult to obtain. In addition, approval from the European Union would be required.

According to international law expert Monica Hakimi, even if an agreement between Denmark, the United States and Greenland is possible, the self-determination of Greenlanders must also be ensured in order to be consistent with international law.

It is also unclear how much it would cost to buy Greenland.