Greenland deal a boost for US naval strategy
It allows for a broader repositioning of US might in the North Atlantic, in preparation for potential challenges from Russian and Chinese naval power.
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(From left) US President Donald Trump, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland‘s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen at the signing of a trilateral security deal in New York on Sept 22.
PHOTO: AFP
The people of Denmark have an old saying: “Du far ret og jeg far fred”, meaning “You get to be right, and I get peace”. The expression describes the strategy of a graceful exit from a painful dispute: You allow the opposing side to claim a “win” simply because you care more about your peace of mind rather than about the pride of being declared the victor.
And that’s precisely the strategy Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen adopted in dealing with US President Donald Trump’s demands to get control of Greenland. After 20 months of facing Trump’s outrageous threats to seize the Danish territory by force, a smiling Frederiksen, accompanied by the leader of Greenland’s regional autonomous government, sat down with Trump on Sept 22 to sign a document settling the dispute.