It is not easy for Trump to capture Greenland (Photo- Reuters)
AP, London. If US President Donald Trump's politics has to be understood in one word, it is bullying. The same attitude has emerged regarding Greenland also. Trump openly said that if this area is not given to America with love, it will be taken by force.
Even the White House has said that every option, whether purchase, pressure or military force, is on the table to occupy Greenland. But as much as Trump is moving ahead with threats, the equally harsh reality is that annexing Greenland is not an easy deal for him, but a very risky deal.
Direct conflict with Denmark's sovereignty
Greenland is not an American colony, but a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. This clearly means that any attempt to occupy Greenland will be considered a direct attack on Denmark's sovereignty. In international law, forcible occupation of the territory of a sovereign country is a direct aggressive step, which the world does not easily accept.
Danger of break in NATO
Both Denmark and the United States are members of NATO. If the US applied military pressure over Greenland, it would be an unprecedented confrontation within NATO. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that such a move could put the currency in an existential crisis.
Disagreement of local people
Greenland may have a population of around 57 thousand, but it has its own political identity. The people there neither want to be a part of America nor are they ready to sell their land. The occupation against the public will is also morally difficult for America, which claims to be a democracy.
Military logic is also weak
The US already has military access to Greenland under a 1951 defense agreement and could increase its deployment. In such a situation, the insistence on occupation indicates that the matter is more about expansionism than security. Experts also say that the argument about the threat from Russia and China is exaggerated.
Even if America somehow takes control of Greenland, it will have to pay a heavy price. People there get Danish citizenship, free health services and education. Creating such a social system is neither cheap nor easy for America. Experts believe that this deal could become more of an economic headache than a political one.
America becomes isolated due to bullying
Trump's politics of threats and pressure are threatening to isolate not only Greenland but America itself on the global stage. Distrust among allies, rifts in NATO and disregard for international law, all together make it clear that despite all the noise and show of force, annexing Greenland is not an easy step for Trump, but a step fraught with huge political risk.