Impending US attack "People can no longer sleep" - Trump's greed for Greenland and its consequences

Donald Trump dreams of annexing Greenland, but he doesn't know the name of the prime minister there. He probably also has no idea what his greed is doing to the inhabitants of the island. The current situation in 5 points.

Since 2019 and his first term in office, Donald Trump has had his eye on Greenland. And the 79-year-old is not letting up. He will "do something with Greenland - whether they like it or not", said Trump a few days ago in the White House.

Why is the New Yorker so obsessed with the island, which belongs to Denmark? "If we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland. And we won't have Russia or China as neighbors."

That's a sailor's yarn, of course. Because Russia borders Alaska on the Bering Strait, which, as you know, belongs to the USA. America and Russia are just 83 kilometers apart. By contrast, the distance to Greenland from the north-easternmost tip of the USA is over 1900 kilometers. So much for neighborliness.

There are much better reasons that Trump could put forward for his Greenland ambitions: There is the island's enormous geostrategic importance or the fact that it is home to 47 of the 50 minerals that Washington considers vital to its survival - see also the article linked below.

Raw materials as a curse and a blessingWhat Trump is right about with Greenland

The White House is now steadily increasing the pressure: if no agreement is reached, the USA could do the whole thing "the hard way", Trump blatantly threatens his ally. The latest developments in the case in five points.

Although there are good reasons for the US interest in Greenland, Trump seems increasingly obsessive on the subject - and not just because of his blunt threats. The president tells the New York Times that he feels the island is "psychologically needed for success".

When asked by the newspaper whether he meant the nation or himself, Trump replied: "Psychologically important to me." And: "Maybe another president would think differently, but so far I've been right about everything." And at the same time he knows: "It could throw NATO into turmoil."

Trump also appeared astonishingly ill-informed when a reporter asked him about the Greenlandic prime minister's statement on January 13. He said that they would rather stay with Denmark. The President was surprisingly clueless: "Well, that's your problem. I don't agree with him. I don't know who he is. I don't know anything about him. But that's going to be a big problem for him," says Trump about Jens-Frederik Nielsen, whose home country so appeals to him.

"USA Today" has received news from a member of the administration who has been working on the issue since 2020. It could only be "weeks or months" before the US intervenes on the island, Thomas Dans told the newspaper. And: "This is a multi-stop train," says the investment banker, whom Trump has appointed as head of the Arctic Commission.

"It could continue at express speed, local stops could be skipped and the train could run straight into the main station," explains Dans figuratively.

He at least knows that it would be better to convince the local population: "We have to get the Greenlanders on board," he says of the 57,000 people who live on the island. There has to be a "process to get the trust and support of the Greenlanders, and that takes time and effort from the US side".

The fact that the US wants to annex Greenland is "unbelievable", says Naaja Nathanielsen, who is the island's Minister for Economic Affairs and Natural Resources. Washington's rhetoric is "insulting, but also confusing", she is quoted as saying by the Turkish news agency Anadolu Ajansı.

The tug-of-war over the island is putting a strain on residents: "It's causing a lot of worries about the future. People are reporting sleep problems. It's really filling the agenda and causing discussions in households," complains the 50-year-old. "Children are scared."

"We have no problem knowing more about what's happening around Greenland. [...] We have no problems with giving NATO more access to Greenland," assures Nathanielsen and warns against a breach of alliance: "It implies that one country is being attacked by another NATO partner, but in reality we would all be attacked."

Republican Lisa Murkowski and Democrat Jeanne Shaheen have co-introduced a bill that would prohibit Donald Trump from annexing, occupying or otherwise controlling the territory of a NATO country without the consent of the affected ally.

The bill would prohibit the government from using Pentagon or State Department funds to do so. The US President has enormous room for maneuver in foreign policy, but the sovereignty over budgetary funds lies with both chambers of the US Congress.

Dane explains Trump's desire for Greenland"He could also ask if he can buy Norway or Germany from us"

It is unclear whether the bill has a realistic chance of being passed by a majority in the Senate and then also in the House of Representatives. Especially as the other side is now also throwing a bill into the ring.

Republican Randy Fine from Trump's adopted home state of Florida is introducing a bill that not only explicitly allows Trump to annex Greenland - it also enables the White House to make the island the 51st state.

"The poverty rate in Greenland is much, much higher than in Denmark. The country is ruled by socialists, and it is not in America's interest that such a large area between the US and Russia is ruled by socialists," Fine explains on "Fox News".

Donald Trump makes fun of Greenland's defense - see video above: The island is defending itself "with two dogsleds instead of submarines". Greenland's prime minister is therefore relying on the existing alliance: "Our security and defense are Nato's business," writes Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Instagram. "This is a fundamental and secure connection."

The island will strengthen its cooperation with the alliance, Nielsen continues. The NATO Secretary General echoes this sentiment: "The next steps" are being worked on to increase security in the Arctic, Mark Rutte declared on January 12.

Similar calls come from Germany: "We have to assume that Trump is serious about Greenland. Europe must therefore show a much stronger presence," demands Patrick Sensburg, head of the reservist association, when asked by Bild. A permanent deployment would also serve to train European troops in Arctic conditions, he added.

"This will destroy the Union"3 questions about Europe's political future that give food for thought

"We must deploy at least one European brigade there in the short term under the leadership of Denmark. Germany will also have a particular duty here," says the 54-year-old. The EU Commissioner for Defense and Space, Andrius Kubilius, is also offering Greenland military support, according to "The Defense Watch".

Late Night USA"If we need Sch***** and it's not too far away, we'll take it"

And Russia? The Kremlin has an interest in weakening Nato - and is adding fuel to the fire via Vladimir Putin's chain dog. "Trump must hurry", a post by Dmitry Medvedev is quoted as saying. He is ex-president and deputy head of the Russian Security Council.

The reason? "According to unconfirmed information, in a few days there could be a sudden referendum in which all 55,000 inhabitants of Greenland could vote to join Russia. And that's it!" With a view to the US attacks on drug boats in the Caribbean, he adds that the US could also eliminate a "wasp's nest of the drug mafia" in Greenland.