Striking words from a Russian analyst: Greenland, which Trump has set his sights on, could join the United States.

The elected president of the USA, Donald Trump, argued that the ownership and control of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, is "an absolute necessity." Trump reiterated his statement that Greenland should be under US control in a post announcing the selection of Ken Howery, co-founder of PayPal, as the US Ambassador to Copenhagen on his Truth Social account. Elected President Trump stated in his post, "For national security and freedom around the world, the US believes that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity."

WAS THE FIRST OFFER MADE IN 1946?

Although Greenland gained autonomy from Denmark in 1979, it is still dependent on this country for foreign affairs, security, and financial matters. Former US President Harry Truman had offered Denmark $100 million in gold to purchase Greenland, which has rich reserves of uranium, gold, oil, and gas, in 1946. Seventy-three years after this offer, then-President Trump indicated that they wanted to buy Greenland, which led to a brief diplomatic crisis between Denmark and the USA. Due to diplomatic tensions, Trump canceled his official visit to Denmark.

DENMARK INCREASED DEFENSE SPENDING

Denmark announced plans to increase defense spending following the statements of Donald Trump, elected as the 47th President of the USA, that "Greenland should be under US control." Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, who announced the new defense package, stated that they aim to demonstrate "a stronger presence" in the region. Poulsen shared that the package prepared for Greenland includes the deployment of two patrol ships, two long-range drones, and sled dogs to the region. Referring to Trump's statements that "Greenland should be under US control," Poulsen described the timing of the new defense package as "irony of fate." Trump, preparing to take office in the USA, reiterated his statement about Greenland needing to be under US control in a post on his Truth Social account on December 23, arguing that having ownership and control of the island is "an absolute necessity." Trump's remarks drew reactions from many quarters, especially from Greenland officials. Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Bourup Egede emphasized in a written statement to AA correspondent that Greenland is "not for sale," stating, "Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland. We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We will not lose our long-standing struggle for freedom."

WHY IS GREENLAND IMPORTANT FOR THE USA?

Military analyst Aleksey Leonkov, speaking to Sputnik, stated that Greenland's natural resources are significant, but Trump's desire to purchase the island from Denmark is primarily driven by military concerns. Leonkov suggested that with global warming, the USA could establish a chain of naval facilities in Greenland that would allow it to "cover" the entire North Atlantic and monitor the Arctic. He also noted that the USA had previously attempted to establish a naval base in Greenland but abandoned the construction of the outpost due to costs related to electricity and heating.

Leonkov emphasized that the current naval assets of the USA in the North Atlantic region are still unable to reliably monitor Russia's submarine operations there, suggesting that the USA might try to solve this problem by expanding its naval presence through Greenland. He added that Iceland is not a viable option for bases due to its relatively small size and the risks associated with volcanic activity, summarizing the possible reason for the USA's efforts to seize Greenland as follows: "The solutions lie in having a permanent naval presence there, especially with naval and diving drones that will actively search for Russian submarines."

"GREENLAND WILL JOIN THE USA AS A STATE"

In response to the question of whether the USA could annex Greenland, Leonkov said:

"I think there will be a huge uproar, but Greenland will join the USA as a region, even as a state. Denmark will receive financial compensation, and strict orders will be given to prevent Russian tankers from passing through the Danish straits leading to the Baltic Sea.