ANALYSIS
President Donald Trump’s lust for Greenland may be the final nail in NATO’s coffin.
His threat to invade the Arctic island is more than a game-changer.
It’s a game destroyer.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) alliance is built around a central premise.
Article 5 commits its members to treat an attack on one as an attack on all.
The concept of one ally attacking another seemed inconceivable when it was drafted after the defeat of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan in World War II.
But not now.
“The problem is not a thing that Denmark can do about it if Russia or China wants to occupy Greenland. But there’s everything we can do about it,” the 79-year-old insisted Thursday.
“You found it out last week with Venezuela, is everything we can do about things such as that.”
But Greenland is not being threatened.
So President Donald Trump’s resolve to secure Greenland “one way or another” has confounded Denmark and the other 31 members of NATO. Not to mention the broader sweep of US allies.
The former real estate developer and game show host insists it’s all about national security.
Not its wealth of critical and rare minerals. Nor its development potential.
“I can’t rely on Denmark being able to fend themselves off,” insisted the mercurial 47th President of the United States.
But they don’t have to. That’s what NATO is for.
President Donald Trump’s resolve to secure Greenland “one way or another” has confounded Denmark and the other 31 members of NATO. Picture: Jim Watson / AFP
Denmark has been part of the US-led mutual defence pact since the end of World War II.
That already gives the US Commander-in-Chief sweeping military access to Greenland for his military and defence needs.
But Greenland and Denmark retain sovereign rights to their minerals, fisheries and other assets. Just like Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom...
If attacked, every member of the NATO alliance – not just Washington DC – has committed to the fight to defend it.
President Trump doesn’t see it that way.
“NATO should be leading the way for us to get it,” he posted to social media as US, Danish and Greenlander foreign ministers met for crisis talks at the White House this week.
“NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hand
Continue Reading on News.com.au
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.