From Venezuala to Greenland: Trump Imperialism… December’s Wrap Up

The desires of President Donald Trump in Greenland have taken credibility in recent days following the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife on January 3, illustrating a reaffirmation of an imperialist and interventionist aim freeing himself from international law. Following the intervention in Venezuela, Kate Miller, the wife of the deputy chief of staff of the White House shared a photo of Greenland against a background of the American flag with the caption “soon” (Sermitsiaq, January 4). Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller himself claimed that Greenland should be part of the United States (Sermitsiaq, January 5). The White House would actively develop acquisition plans, including diplomatic, economic and military measures, calling the autonomous territory a “national security priority” and thus reviving an idea long considered rhetorical (High North News, January 7). This Trumpian obsession goes back to the first administration but gains in acuity following the US intervention in Venezuela, and while the use of the U.S. military “is still an option” according to the White House (BBC, January 7). At present, the existing defense agreements already allow the United States to increase its military presence, now limited to about 200 soldiers at the Pituffik base, in the northwest of the territory, which has a ballistic missile detection radar, as well as one of the control centers of the US military satellite network. Silent and then conciliatory after the abduction of Nicolas Maduro, Emmanuel Macron and six other leaders and heads of government of NATO member countries signed a joint declaration affirming that “it is up to Denmark and Greenland, and on their own, to decide on the issues concerning Denmark and Greenland” (SermitsiaqSermitsiaq, January 6). The foreign ministers of the Nordic countries (Finland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland) also defended the self-determination of Greenland and Denmark (Sermitsiaq, 6 January). Altinget underlines the weakening of European positions vis-à-vis international law: “We cannot defend international law in Ukraine and accept its collapse in Venezuela or Gaza. We cannot talk about sovereignty in the Baltic Sea and ignore it in the Caribbean.” (Altinget, January 5). Naalakkersuisut President Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a statement to Trump that: “This is not how we address a people that has repeatedly shown responsibility, stability and loyalty. Too much, that’s too much. No more pressure. No more insinuations. No more annexation fantasies. We are open to dialogue. We are open to discussion.” (SermitsiaqSermitsiaq, January 4). Earlier in December, Donald Trump appointed a new special envoy to Greenland, the Republican governor of Louisiana state, Jeff Landry. The latter had written on X that it is an honour for him to assume the mission of integrating Greenland into the United States, already triggering a new round of condemnation from Danish, Greenlandic and European representatives (Sermitsiaq, 22 December). While responses to US threats have remained largely rhetorical, Greenland MP Aaja Chemnitz (IA) at the Folketing is now calling on Greenland and Denmark to take concrete steps, including military action, on the preparation and protection of Greenland (Sermitsiaq, 5 January). On the technological front, Starlink’s recent refusal to benefit European satellite solutions illustrates the growing politicization of digital infrastructures (Eye on the Arctic, December 10). In addition, on the climate front, the Arctic Report Card reports that the last ten years have been the ten warmest on record in the Arctic, while the Greenland ice sheet has continued to lose hundreds of billions of tonnes of ice (Hign North News, December 17). Finally, earlier this month, the Danish government announced that it had reached an agreement in Parliament to pay individual compensation to Greenlandic women who were victims of a forced birth control campaign (Eye on the Arctic, 10 December).