Trump’s plans to seize Greenland thwarted by firm stance of Denmark and Europe – French General

This was stated in a comment to Ukrinform by retired General Michel Yakovleff, former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps.

“I think it was not about having more bases, as that already existed in the past. This time, he primarily wanted to become the owner of certain territories. Will he become a ‘partial owner’ in some very specific areas? That remains possible,” Yakovleff suggested.

At the same time, in the general’s view, Trump retreated because the Danes, with the support of European countries, were able to demonstrate firmness and clearly say “no” in response to all threats.

“The Danes could have ‘blurred’ the issue during negotiations and said, ‘fine, there is already an American base – let there be a few more.’ But they refused, and the 200 soldiers from various European countries stationed there are proof that they understood how to act correctly. These are Greenland’s lands; they are Danish. And one should not be afraid to say, ‘no, this is impossible.’ You cannot enter negotiations with someone who seeks to predatorily seize your territory. Especially since he even spoke about the possibility of using force – this runs counter to everything that can be expected from an allied country within NATO,” the general explained.

Yakovleff also recalled that the Danes are already purchasing large quantities of American military equipment and have agreed to significantly increase investments in Arctic defense.

The general believes that there is currently no agreement on Greenland and that none can exist for technical reasons, while NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte helped Trump “save face.”

“The NATO Secretary General had no sole authority to sign anything – neither on behalf of NATO nor, even more so, on behalf of one of its member states. In other words, there is no agreement. I believe Trump actually backed down. And Rutte very pragmatically helped him retreat while saving face. Rutte saved the situation by creating the illusion, the impression, that there was some kind of agreement. And in a few days, everyone will already be talking about something else,” he explained.

As reported, the European Commission will soon propose a new investment package for Greenland and will develop the production of Arctic equipment. In its next long-term budget, the EU has already proposed doubling financial support for Greenland.

Photo: Michel Yakovleff’s personal archive