This is one of those deals where I will talk about an article in parts throughout it. My thoughts are in yellow, where as the article is in white.
A bipartisan group of members of the US Congress
Congress can still work together?
is visiting Denmark in what is seen as a show of support in the face of increasing pressure from President Donald Trump for the US to annex Greenland – a semi-autonomous region of Denmark in the Arctic.
It’s not like everyone in his party agrees with everything he does.
The 11-member delegation is meeting MPs as well as Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her Greenlandic counterpart Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
Working together is always a good thing.
The visit comes days after high-level talks in Washington failed to dissuade Trump from his plans.
He should definitely not do this.
He insists Greenland is vital for US security – and that Denmark cannot defend it against possible Russian or Chinese attacks. Both Denmark and Greenland say they are opposed to a US takeover.
So, maybe you cooperate and work together instead of taking over.
Greenland is sparsely-populated but resource-rich and its location between North America and the Arctic makes it well placed for early warning systems in the event of missile attacks and for monitoring vessels in the region.
It’s also an easy place to get greedy.
The US already has more than 100 military personnel permanently stationed at its Pituffik base – a facility that has been operated by the US since World War Two.
So, they had been cooperating in the past, but can’t seem to now for some reason.
Under existing agreements with Denmark, the US has the power to bring as many troops as it wants to Greenland.
But Trump has said the US needs to “own” it to defend it properly.
Cooperation is suddenly off the table? Canada has resources too. Is he using Greenland as some sort of test and then later “I wonder how far I can go?”
He has consistently offered to buy it off – an offer rejected by Denmark and Greenland – whilst mooting the possibility of seizing it by force.
Money doesn’t make everything happen. Hopefully all these strategies will prove fruitless so that he doesn’t get any more ideas of confidence to go…westward.
Denmark has warned that military action would spell the end of Nato – the trans-Atlantic defence alliance where the US is the most influential partner.
But NATO is a good thing!
Nato works on the principle that allies have to aid each other in case of attack from outside – it has never faced an option where one member would use force against another.
It’s good to have friends.
European allies have rallied to Denmark’s support.
They have also said the Arctic region is equally important to them and that its security should be a joint Nato responsibility – with the US involved.
To this end, several countries including France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and the UK have sent a limited number of troops to Greenland in a so-called reconnaissance mission.
Hopefully this doesn’t blow up in to something bigger.
French President Emmanuel Macron said “land, air, and sea assets” would soon be sent.
The US Congressional delegation includes senators and members of the US House of Representatives who are fervent supporters of Nato.
It is led by Senator Chris Coons who said earlier this week that “we need to draw closer to our allies, not drive them away”.
Though Coons and the majority of the delegation are Democratic opponents of Trump, the group includes Republican Senators Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski, too.
Democratic and Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation to stop Trump seizing Greenland by force.
He would have to do it some other way. This is promising, unless he just ignores the rules.
A Republican congressman has also introduced a rival bill in support of the plan to annex the island.
Trump’s envoy to Greenland Jeff Landry told Fox News on Friday that the US should talk with Greenland’s leaders, not Denmark.
“I do believe that there’s a deal that should and will be made once this plays out,” he said.
Perhaps a deal that keeps everything the way it has been. Then I don’t have to keep writing about this.
“The president is serious. I think he’s laid the markers down. He’s told Denmark what he’s looking for, and now it’s a matter of having Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio and Vice-President JD Vance make a deal.
Which side are they on? This remains to be seen, though I think I know the answer
“The United States has always been a welcoming party. We don’t go in there trying to conquer anybody and trying to take over anybody’s country. We say, ‘Listen. We represent liberty. We represented economic strength. We represent protection.'”
Protection means different things to different people.