Trump's Greenland threats show Britain is stuck in a one-sided 'special relationship'
If Trump orders an invasion of Greenland, there’s little the UK or a weakened NATO will be able to do to stop it, writes Professor Andrew Moran
It has often been said about President Trump that we should take him seriously, but not literally.
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At home and abroad, the President has consistently made bold, brash promises of action - on some occasions he delivers, and others he does not. So, when Trump says he “needs” Greenland, it is difficult to determine how far he will go.
What we do know is that this week’s intervention in Venezuela has further weakened what was left of the rules-based international order created at the end of the Second World War. Invading another country’s sovereign territory and overthrowing its leader is seen by many as a breach of international law, and one which is difficult to justify, particularly given Trump’s motivations appear to have been primarily focused on oil and rare minerals rather than the removal of a dictator and the promotion of democracy.
Actions like this can make the world more unstable and encourage others to take similar measures. To many, Trump has transformed America from being the ‘world’s policeman’ to a belligerent, rogue state.
Arguably, his threat to take Greenland has a far more serious and far-reaching influence on the world order than anything we’ve seen from Trump before, as Denmark, which governs Greenland, is a NATO member, so any annexation of the territory might result in the collapse of an already fragile alliance.
In the worst-case scenario, though extremely unlikely, it could lead to conflict between Western powers, as NATO members have a duty to come to each other’s aid when they’re attacked.
Keir Starmer has been clear on the Greenland issue: any intervention there would not be acceptable. He has released a joint statement with other European leaders stating that “Greenland belongs to its people.”
It’s a noble sentiment. However, Trump’s track record is that he does not listen to others to the degree Starmer might hope.
Trump has little regard or respect for his allies. Whatever proponents of the ‘special relationship’ might say, it is currently a transactional one. The only way to influence the President seems to be by possessing hard power, and the sad reality is the UK’s economic and military resources are limited. If Trump orders an invasion of Greenland, there’s little the UK or a weakened NATO will be able to do to stop it, and there is little public appetite for another European conflict, given its ongoing commitments to Ukraine.
At this point, it is more likely, hopefully, that Trump will seek to make a deal with the people of Greenland, offering the prospect of US investment and security, as the US seeks to gain access to its mineral wealth and the economic benefits the melting of the ice caps promises.
For the UK, there remains the prospect of a long-delayed acceptance that the special relationship is no longer ‘special’, and that our relationship with the US needs to be reassessed. Sadly, under Trump, the US no longer seems to be the reliable and trustworthy partner it once was.
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Professor Andrew Moran is Head of Politics and International Relations at London Metropolitan University.
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