Diplomacy
Trump Doctrine: ‘The purpose of the Greenland exit is to send a strong message to China’
The repercussions of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to annex Greenland, an autonomous island of Denmark, without excluding the possibility of using military force, continue to unfold.
A report in the New York Post (NYP) emphasizes that Trump’s move raises the question, “Why?” and includes insights from a source close to Trump’s transition team.
Claiming that Greenland is becoming increasingly important for strategists in many countries, especially Washington, due to its location on vital shipping routes and the presence of key raw materials rarely found elsewhere, the NYP reported that the source said, “To send a strong and deliberate message to Beijing. Not just talk. It’s action. Make America ambitious again,” the source was quoted as saying.
The source also noted that the president-elect drew the first framework of the “Trump Doctrine.”
According to the Wilson Center, a foreign policy think tank, the U.S. is locked in a “three-cornered” struggle with Russia and China for the Arctic’s natural resources, such as lithium, cobalt, and graphite.
Alex Plitsas of the Atlantic Council said, “There are two main reasons [for annexing Greenland]. First, the large deposits of rare earth elements, which are essential for critical defense and electronics production. Second, Greenland has a legitimately large claim to the Arctic, which will give the United States a stronger position as competition for navigation and resources there heats up.”
U.S.-China-Russia rivalry in the Arctic
For years, the U.S. has been in a “quiet tug-of-war” with China and Russia over access to the Arctic and has been sending military icebreakers to explore the resource-rich island, the NYP reports.
The Arctic is thought to be abundant in rare earth minerals, which are used in everything from mobile phones to weapons of mass destruction. The U.S. and Western countries are mostly dependent on China for these minerals.
According to Plitsas, this dependence on Beijing “is not sustainable given geopolitical realities.” He argues, “There are other large deposits in places like Afghanistan, which are also unsustainable for various reasons.”
“With increasing demand for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and advanced electronics, the United States relies heavily on critical materials to spur innovation and maintain global economic competitiveness,” the Wilson Center wrote in its 2023 report.
Competition over the Arctic, on the other hand, has intensified in recent years due to climate change, which has led to the melting of glaciers that previously made it almost impossible to access resources. “Warming has led to greater freedom of navigation in the Arctic,” Plitsas recalls.
U.S. ‘icebreaker ship’ discomfort
But according to the NYP, the Americans have so far lagged behind their rivals, partly due to limited U.S. access to the region and a relatively small number of icebreakers.
This problem has long troubled some Republicans, including Mike Waltz, whom Trump appointed as national security adviser. In a 2017 post on X, Waltz wrote, “In the Arctic, where we will compete for natural resources, the Coast Guard needs more than one icebreaker! Russia has dozens!”
The Coast Guard currently has only two of the vital vessels, but Waltz recently promised to ask for more in the 119th Congress in response to a post on X calling for “a dozen more” icebreakers.
Additional icebreakers and the acquisition of Greenland are topics Trump has chosen to highlight as the U.S. builds more rare earth mineral processing plants as part of an effort to reduce its dependence on China.
The United States is home to only 1.3 percent of the world’s rare earth minerals, compared to 70 percent for China.
Greenland open to non-annexation options
Kuno Fencker, a member of Greenland’s parliament, told CNN on Tuesday that the island only gained full autonomy in 2009 and that since then, the regional government has been working to achieve sovereignty.
“We may have a lot of disagreements here about property, because we are trying to create a sovereign country as Greenland and we want to establish the state of Greenland,” Fencker said, adding that the regional government may be willing to work on a free association agreement with the United States.
The U.S. already has such agreements with Pacific island states such as Palau. Such agreements require Washington to provide financial assistance to the countries entering into the free relationship, as well as grant island citizens the right to work and live in the U.S. as “permanent residents.”
“The main [point] here is that Greenland [status] should be a monumental decision, what kind of state we want to be, and also who we should cooperate with, and our closest allies, which, you know, we are under the rule of Denmark,” Fencker said.
The new White House is open to other options
The source told NYP that Trump may be willing to discuss alternative arrangements with Greenland authorities other than full annexation.
“There is flexibility in discussing the best ways to strengthen America’s security, so I think it’s fair to say there is more than one option,” the source said.
The U.S. has long wanted to own Greenland. When it bought Alaska from Russia in 1867, it also considered bidding for the island in the North Atlantic.
Almost eighty years later, after the Second World War, the U.S. offered Greenland $100 million in gold bullion, which Denmark rejected.
But the offer led to a defense deal that gave the U.S. access to Thule Air Base, now Pituffik Spaceport, the northernmost outpost of the military, which was critical during the Cold War because of its proximity to Russia.
Leading diplomats from the European Union (EU) have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of undermining the process by refusing to participate in peace negotiations planned for May 15 in Türkiye, aimed at ending the conflict with Ukraine.
The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Poland, Czechia, and Estonia made strong statements on the matter.
Delegations from the warring countries are already in Türkiye. The Ukrainian delegation is effectively headed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while the Russian delegation is led by Putin’s aide, Vladimir Medinsky.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said that Zelenskyy showed good faith by coming to Türkiye, but where Putin should have been seated, there remained “an empty chair.”
Barrot stated, “Putin is trying to buy time, and it is clear that he does not want to enter into peace negotiations, despite US President Donald Trump expressing his readiness and willingness to mediate.”
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul made a similar statement. The Minister expressed, “Putin is exaggerating his position. The whole world expects him to finally fulfill the demand to sit at the negotiating table with a delegation appropriate to the seriousness of the situation.”
According to Wadephul, Zelenskyy’s willingness to engage in direct dialogue with Putin deserves respect, but the Russian side “is not showing a sign that it is approaching the negotiations seriously.” Wadephul warned that this behavior would not be without consequences and that Europe was discussing further sanctions.
On the other hand, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, speaking at a high-level meeting of NATO diplomats in Antalya, argued that the Kremlin’s decision to send a low-level delegation to the negotiations in Istanbul showed that Putin was “trying to buy time.”
Sikorski added, “We hope that the US President sees this cynicism for what it is and draws the right conclusions.”
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský stated that Putin’s refusal to meet Zelenskyy directly in Istanbul showed the Russian President’s cowardice.
The Minister remarked, “The real question is whether this can be called a peace negotiation. Putin is clearly afraid. He sent one of the ideological figures, which in itself is a signal of how he is approaching this, meaning not very positively.”
Lipavský also added that his counterparts attending the informal meeting in Antalya expressed a shared view that Putin’s actions showed he did not want to take a step forward.
The Czech Minister said, “European leaders clearly stated that new sanctions could be forthcoming.”
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna also criticized the level of the Russian delegation tasked with conducting the first direct talks with Kyiv in three years.
Tsahkna declared, “Russia’s rejection of a ceasefire and sending an ultra-nationalist with no political status to Istanbul instead of Putin is a slap in the face to Ukraine and its allies. Russia is still not interested in peace, which means we need to increase pressure.”
Lipavský and Barrot also shared a photo taken with US Senator Lindsey Graham. The two ministers reported that the congressman confirmed the US was ready to tighten sanctions on Russia if Putin continued to stand in the way of peace.
Putin had proposed the first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine since spring 2022 take place in Istanbul on May 15. This offer came in response to a demand from the US and EU countries for a 30-day ceasefire.
Zelenskyy had announced he was ready to meet Putin in person in Türkiye. However, the Russian President sent a delegation led by his aide, Medinsky.
The negotiation group also included Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Defense Minister Aleksandr Fomin.
Zelenskyy described the Russian delegation as “a show.” Ukraine was expected to be represented in the negotiations by Head of the Presidential Administration Andrey Yermak, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Andrey Sibiga, and Presidential Diplomacy Advisor Igor Zhovkva. It was noted that Zelenskyy planned to attend the meeting only if Putin also participated.
The US State Department has approved the sale of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles (AMRAAM) and Sidewinder missiles to Türkiye, totaling over $300 million.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), part of the Pentagon, submitted two separate notifications regarding this approval to Congress.
According to a written statement from DSCA, the first approved package includes 53 AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), valued at approximately $225 million, along with 6 AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM guidance sections for these missiles.
The second package approved by the department covers the sale of 60 AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II missiles, related logistics and program support elements, and 11 AIM-9X Block II Tactical guidance sections, totaling $79.1 million.
It was stated that the air-to-air missiles approved by the US administration could be used in various aerial missions, primarily by Türkiye’s F-16 fighter jets.
There is a 15-day objection period for the weapon sale approvals submitted to Congress.
If no objection is raised by members of Congress during this period, the weapon sale will officially take place.
NATO countries have begun working on an agreement for the largest spending increase since the Cold War, with the goal of raising their defense expenditures to 5% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2032.
According to a Bloomberg report based on diplomats familiar with the matter, this proposal was first brought to the agenda by US President Donald Trump.
While alliance members aim to make progress on this issue before the summit in The Hague in June, the topic will be discussed at the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Antalya, Türkiye, on May 14-15.
Currently, none of the 32 member countries, including the US, have reached the 5% target. In fact, eight countries have not even met the current recommended spending level of 2%.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called earlier this month for allies to agree to increase their defense spending to 3.5% of their GDP within the next seven years and to allocate an additional 1.5% for military-related needs.
Rutte stated that the aim of The Hague summit, which will be the first summit after Trump’s potential return to the White House, will be to balance spending within NATO.
According to 2024 data, the US accounts for 64% of the alliance’s total defense spending, while Europe and Canada’s share remained at 36%.
Ministers meeting in Antalya will discuss which expenditures will be included in the 1.5% bracket.
According to diplomats, this category could include items such as military mobility, dual-use goods, and cybersecurity.
However, it was emphasized that the talks are still in their initial stages. It remains uncertain whether this 1.5% portion will cover existing expenditures or require new commitments.
A senior Turkish official stated that even aid to Ukraine could be included in this category.
The main target of 3.5% is based on NATO’s new and ambitious defense plans. It has been learned that the alliance has already distributed documents to member governments containing detailed and top-secret lists of weapons and other capabilities.
These lists will be discussed by defense ministers in Brussels and confirmed at the summit in The Hague in June.
Rutte’s proposal also includes regular and strict monitoring of the steps taken to achieve the new targets.
A senior European diplomat said that achieving such a sharp increase in defense spending within the foreseen period would be a “major challenge.”
The same diplomat added that many members see these efforts as necessary to “send a clear message” to Russia.
Currently, the country closest to the proposed new spending target is Poland. Poland, which allocates 4.1% of its GDP to defense, plans to increase this ratio to 4.7% in 2025.
Poland is followed by the US with 3.7% and Estonia with 3.4%. Some alliance members, such as Italy and Spain, have recently announced that they have reached the 2% of GDP level.
According to sources, the remaining countries are expected to reach the same level by The Hague summit.
In addition to this spending issue, The Hague summit will also address topics such as increasing industrial production and reforming NATO’s internal governance to improve its overall efficiency.
India plans to increase water drawing from Indus river
Europe confronts nuclear future: French umbrella or German bomb?
Qatar fund pledges $500 billion for US investments
European leaders accuse Putin of undermining peace talks in Istanbul
Chancellor Merz rejects US ‘tyranny’ claims, asserts German democratic stability
-
Opinion1 week agoThe India-Pakistan war has not yet begun
-
Asia2 weeks agoThird countries sound alarm over Chinese tariff evasion tactics
-
Opinion1 week agoTürkiye’s Antalya Diplomacy Forum in the age of multipolarity
-
Asia2 weeks agoIndia and Pakistan boost military capacity amid rising tensions
-
Europe1 week agoGerman military seeks high-tech edge with AI and drones
-
America2 weeks agoSpaceX gains local control as Starbase becomes a city
-
Middle East1 week agoAhmed Shara seeks US security for Baghdad summit
-
America2 weeks agoTariffs cause major drop in China-US sea cargo
