Trump gets ready for war. Denmark responds.

[K-Dog]

Denmark Plans Arctic Vessels, Sled Patrols Amid Trump's Interest In Greenland

The government has also proposed upgrading the airport in Kangerlussuaq, a former US military base in western Greenland.

Copenhagen:

Denmark's government has proposed purchasing two new Arctic inspection vessels and increasing dog sled patrols to boost its military presence in Greenland, as US President-elect Donald Trump sets his sights on the island, local media reported.

The government has also proposed upgrading the airport in Kangerlussuaq, a former US military base in western Greenland, to accommodate F-35 fighter jets, broadcasters DR and TV2 said on Friday.

Denmark has already set aside $400 million to strengthen surveillance and intelligence in the Arctic and North Atlantic with long-range drones.

Trump this week reiterated his ambition to gain control over Greenland, a semi-autonomous Arctic territory of Denmark that the incoming US president views as crucial to American security.

Denmark, while responsible for Greenland's security and defence, has limited military capabilities on the vast island. At present, these include four ageing inspection vessels, a Challenger surveillance plane and 12 dog sled patrols, all tasked with monitoring an area four times the size of France.

The tradition of using sled dogs for patrolling Greenland dates back to World War II, with the patrol being a specialized unit of the Royal Danish Navy.

DEFENCE SPENDING TALKS

Following more than a decade of drastic cuts in defence spending, last year Denmark allocated 190 billion Danish crowns ($26 billion) for its military over a ten-year span, some of which will be for the Arctic.

Danish lawmakers began long-delayed talks on Friday on how to apportion those funds, which are being progressively allocated via political agreements. The discussions that commenced on Friday focused on what portion of the budget should be go to Greenland's defence requirements.

Earlier this week, Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said he looked forward to informing Trump about Denmark's "massive" military build-up since his last term as president.

However, Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen acknowledged on Thursday that necessary military investments had been "neglected for many years."

Poulsen last month said more funds should be allocated towards Denmark's military presence in the Arctic, although he did not provide specifics.

"The US concerns are real, and there are some very concrete, huge problems in relation to Greenland," defence analyst and retired navy commander Jens Wenzel Kristoffersen told Reuters.

"The US needs to feel safe in this area, and if Denmark doesn't do something about this, then they will have to deal with it themselves."

The US military maintains a permanent presence at the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland's northwest. The strategic location is vital for the US military and its ballistic missile early-warning system, as the shortest route from Europe to North America runs via the island.

On Thursday, the US embassy in Copenhagen stated that there were no plans to increase the US military presence in Greenland.

[MegS]

Maybe print up a billion Ones and Zeroes and re-lease Kangerlussuaq for 4 years? America is never going to do any serious investment in infrastructure for an actual presence in Greenland (or the Arctic in general). All we really like doing is setting up a new refrigerator box to play Spaceship in (in this case, Airforce Base).

We don't seem to be doing that well at real shooting type proxy wars but building a base on friendly territory oughta be a safe way to make some shareholder profits and a bunch of blowhard headlines for the media to munch on.

First post; Hello. I'm not a bot and no way am I anyone's sockpuppet.

[RE]

The best analysis I read of why El Trumpo is interested in Greenland is because when you look at it on a flat map in a Mercator projection it looks as big as Africa.



It's all about image and control.  Greenland's real value is unimportant. If it really was important for minerals, you can be sure the Greenlanders will sell extraction rihghts to any multinational that wants to mine there.  Fact is right now there's no profit in it.  Same reason the oil companies won't "drill baby, drill" despite having the full supprt of his Trumpness.

RE

[K-Dog]

Maybe print up a billion Ones and Zeroes and re-lease Kangerlussuaq for 4 years? America is never going to do any serious investment in infrastructure for an actual presence in Greenland (or the Arctic in general). All we really like doing is setting up a new refrigerator box to play Spaceship in (in this case, Airforce Base).

We don't seem to be doing that well at real shooting type proxy wars but building a base on friendly territory oughta be a safe way to make some shareholder profits and a bunch of blowhard headlines for the media to munch on.

First post; Hello. I'm not a bot and no way am I anyone's sockpuppet.

Welcome, and I agree.

Greenland is part of Trumps plan to pretend America is great again.

A way to waste public money in a way that enriches the Trump tribe.  For Trump that is what it is all about.  Talking about Greenland puts a smoke screen over the other things that Trump is doing. 

And a great way to facilitate a Trump Jr. hunting expedition.  Kangerlussuaq is a good place for a hunting lodge.

It's all about image and control.

<-- Yes




* New members are only 'Useless Eaters' for a few posts.

[MegS]

Sadly enough, given my homestead/doomstead turnip growing goat milking past, "useless eater" is actually pretty accurate. Said no mas last year at 62, pulling my social security pittance, and milking the State of Oregon for every food stamp I can get. I did raise a boy who is now a couple years out of college and pulling in big engineering bucks - he laughs at the horrendous taxes yanked out of his earning saying "Go Dad, go! I'm your personal tax donkey!"

Trump Tribe is an interesting phrase. It has always bugged me to no end how All Things Fucked Up could be pinned on one name. Biden this, Trump that, Obama's whatever, Bush's crap; as if an elected official sets policy. We've demonized the word oligarch by prefacing it with Russian for so long that it doesn't cross the mind of political and economic discourse to recognize that American Oligarchs are just as ubiquitous and arguably more powerful than their foreign counterparts. Trump Tribe = Trump's Oligarchs doesn't seem to fit unless it's Oligarchs as in owners/controllers. Trump makes a lousy trained seal as far as following the script goes. He is good at crowd pleasing antics that earn him fish but at the end of the day all that's left is shit in the pool.

Anicca, impermanence... it all goes by so quickly it seems.

[RE]

Looks like El Trumpo is SERIOUS about acquiring Greenland & the Danes are equally serious that it is Not for Sale.  We ALSO know about his collossal ego and as Master of the "Art of the Deal" in Real Estate won't take NO for an answer.  He's also gonna want to send the message he's the biggest toughest leader of the biggest toughest country, so don't DARE defy me!

All of which sets up a huge, totally unnecessary rift and conflict within NATO and probably some kind of action or resolution at the UN.

Will he try to land marines on the beach and take the Greenies by force?  Doubtful CONgress would give authorization for that, but ya never know.   I think he would need a declaration of War to be able to do it, but again maybe not.

Very entertaining.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2025/01/24/denmark-crisis-horrendous-phone-call-trump-buy-greenland/

RE

[18hammers]

Hey, is this the Comrade Simba from years ago? Fastest chicken processor I seen. Last I heard you had a heart attack and were trying to quit the smokes. You have not posted in what? 8, 10 years? You always cracked me up. Enjoyed reading your take back in the day. I am just as cynical as you.