Trump revives U.S. fixation on Greenland amid murky plans for control

The idea that Greenland is essential to the United States has returned in the Trump era, with President Trump pressing to acquire the island and saying a “framework” for a deal had been reached, though the details remained murky, the article said. European leaders have been trying to persuade him to drop his insistence, and whether Mr.

Trump understands the island’s long history with the United States is described as a mystery. The strategic ties date to World War II, when U.S. forces raided a hidden German weather station on Greenland’s east coast in 1944. Denmark initially welcomed American forces during the war, but after the conflict Danish public opinion expected a return to full control.

In December 1946, U.S. Secretary of State James F. Byrnes told his Danish counterpart that Greenland had become “vital to the defense of the United States,” and he even suggested Denmark sell the island, an idea the Danish government rejected, the article said. As the Cold War intensified, the United States secured a 1951 agreement with Denmark that stressed Danish sovereignty while granting the United States broad freedom to construct, operate and station military facilities on Greenland; the agreement has no expiration date, the article notes.

The U.S. built bases, radar sites and secret projects such as Project Ice Worm, and at its Cold War peak about 10,000 U.S. personnel were stationed there.

Key Topics

World, Greenland, Donald Trump, Denmark, Thule Air Base, Us Space Force