US President Donald Trump wants to buy Greenland and has repeatedly said the United States must take control of the strategically located and mineral-rich island, which is a semiautonomous region that's part of NATO ally Denmark. In this regard, officials from Denmark, Greenland and the United States met last week in Washington and will meet again next week to discuss a renewed push by the White House.
On one hand, there's a billion-dollar treasure buried beneath Greenland's melting glaciers, and on the other, there's a rift within NATO. In an exclusive interview with India TV, foreign affairs expert Robinder Sachdev decoded Donald Trump's "secret file" that has Europe and the entire world on edge. The question comes: Will Greenland become America's 51st state? Will Europe, in these difficult circumstances, make India its fourth pole?
The Trump administration claims that US control over Greenland is necessary due to the growing activities of Russia and China. Trump could deploy troops to protect Greenland. Why is he so insistent?
Robindar Sachdev said Greenland's security is adequate right now. It is under NATO, and if anything happens, the US will fully support it. However, the US is viewing the world from its own perspective. And while it is viewing the world from its own perspective, it is currently telling the countries of South America to either obey it or become its colonies. Or be friendly with it.
He said, "When America looks north, if you notice, the land they want in Greenland is logical for America. They have a lot to gain from it. Now the point is that you are saying, or we are saying, that this is a matter of self-respect and ego. It is certainly a matter of ego, but it is also a matter of geography."
Denmark's Prime Minister has warned that any US pressure on Greenland could be the beginning of the end for NATO. Will the US risk its oldest military alliance just for Greenland?
The foreign affairs expert said, "Yes, it will, to some extent, but it doesn't mean NATO will end. The problem for NATO and Europe is that, suppose the US somehow takes Greenland. There are two or three ways to do that, and we can discuss that. But suppose Greenland becomes part of America, what will Europe do about it? Will it leave NATO? If it leaves NATO, Europe's entire security shield will be destroyed. It will become even more dwarfed by Russia. Therefore, Europe cannot take that risk. They don't even have the military capability that Europe has. These countries reduced their troops and reduced defense production because they had America's security shield."
EU countries appear to be united with Denmark on this issue. French President Macron and Italian PM Meloni are advocating for direct negotiations with Russia. How far could this dispute distance Europe from the US?
Robinder Sachdev said that they will not go to Russia, but they will realise the reality. If this situation is happening with America and Russia is powerful there, then Europe is also very much afraid of it. But now it will happen that they will want to maintain a working relationship with Russia. But at the same time, they will not be able to increase relations with Russia so quickly. The commitments they have made at this time are first of all increasing their defense capabilities. “Now they will feel that if they do not have America's support, they should increase it further. If they increase their defense spending too much, then the condition of their economies is already in some trouble, so their furnace will start sinking further, that is one thing,” he said.
Trump's language regarding Greenland has become more aggressive following the recent US military intervention in Venezuela. Do you think the US is using the threat of using power as a negotiating tool?
Robinder Sachdev said that this isn't just happening now, it's been going on since the beginning of Trump's presidency. When he came to power, he had a 920-page document prepared by the conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation. It was called "Project 2025." It outlined what a Republican, especially Trump, should do if he were to come to power in 2025. That document contained memos and draft orders on all sorts of topics: "Issue this order on this issue, that order on that issue."
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