Greenlanders don’t want to be American and the U.S. can already establish military bases there

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President Trump insists America’s strategic security depends on bringing the icy island of Greenland under the American flag.There are a few problems with his plan. First, treaties with Denmark already allow a U.S. military presence in Greenland. Second, acquiring Greenland would burden the U.S. with political and economic obligations to a welfare-dependent basket case of a territory. Third, Greenlanders want to be American even less than they want to be Danish. And then there’s the stress placed by Trump’s latest tantrums on already frayed relationships with our allies. 

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On Jan. 18, in justifying his insistence on buying or otherwise acquiring the island, President Trump posted to Truth Social: “NATO has been telling Denmark, for 20 years, that ‘you have to get the Russian threat away from Greenland.’ Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it. Now it is time, and it will be done!!!” 

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Fair enough. Denmark’s military isn’t exactly a potent force. The country of six million people has total military manpower of about 83,000, fewer than 40 combat aircraft, and a navy that can put nine frigates to sea to defend itself and the territory of Greenland, which could potentially act as a bridge from Russia to North........

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