U.S. President Donald Trump’s obsession with Greenland could change the United States’ membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and lead to its disbandment.
Invading or forcing Greenland to be part of the U.S. would be an idiotic move, as it could cause drastic changes, affecting relationships, as well as trade and security cooperation within NATO, which would also worsen. Trump’s reasoning behind why the U.S. has a claim on Greenland is because the U.S. defended the territory during World War II when Germany invaded Denmark.
Greenland’s location is well-positioned for monitoring systems for missile attacks and vessels in the region. Not to mention the many resources Greenland provides, according to Al Jazeera, “Greenland is rich in natural resources, including zinc, lead, gold, iron ore, rare earth elements (REEs), copper and oil.”
NATO’s main purpose is to protect the freedom and security of its members, which basically means that an attack on one member is an attack on all, as stated in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which establishes the principle of collective defense.
Thirty-two member countries in NATO have various mutual defense obligations, including the Kingdom of Denmark and the U.S. Greenland, being an autonomous territory, is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
One consequence of the decision for the U.S. to take over Greenland would be the weakening of alliances and the possible collapse of NATO. NATO could see a shift in global security. Since the focus of its military organization is dependent on the capabilities of the U.S., those military sectors that rely heavily on U.S. support will be under-resourced and vulnerable to enemies. On the other hand, America will also be at a disadvantage. European nations might request that American troops leave their bases, causing the U.S.’s ability to project power globally to be limited.
Without NATO’s backing, the U.S. is left to reckon with a real threat that international conflicts might come crashing into its own land, putting civilian lives in jeopardy. Intelligence and confidential data once shared amongst allied countries might be weaponized by enemies, putting the safety of the American people at an even greater risk.
This will disrupt international trade. For example, Europe would lose the security system that protects its trade routes. Besides the risk of trade disruption, the lack of safe trade routes will cause the prices of goods to rise due to higher shipping insurance and possible tariffs. Buyers will have a harder time getting certain products that may not only be scarce but also have high prices. This will eventually harm the economy.
The decision by the U.S. to try to gain control over Greenland is a risk that is not only dangerous but also a mistake. Besides jeopardizing the security of sensitive data from the other 31 countries, it creates vulnerabilities for U.S. intelligence itself. I see it as another problem for U.S. citizens to have to worry about in the long run because we will see the effects more than government officials. In a nutshell, this could bring about serious fallout for diplomatic ties and national security for all parties involved, as well as put citizens at risk, just for greed.
