Denmark Pushes Back on Trump's Threats to take control of Greenland

Summary

Heather Conley discusses the geopolitical fallout from U.S. action in Venezuela and President Trump's renewed threats to take control of Greenland. She argues Greenland is strategically important but that annexation threats are counterproductive, damage NATO, and falsely assume near-term resource extraction is viable. She also notes positive momentum on the Ukrainian and European side of peace talks, while Russia shows no progress.

• European allies reacted cautiously to U.S. engagement on Venezuela, emphasizing sovereignty and international law.
• Heather Conley says Maduro's removal is a setback for Russia and raises questions about China's economic role in Latin America.
• Trump's Greenland push has drawn strong pushback from Denmark and Greenland, with Denmark warning it could end NATO.
• Greenland's oil and critical minerals are not near-term solutions due to low energy prices, weak exploration results, limited infrastructure, and decades-long development timelines.
• The U.S. already has a base and strong security relationship with Greenland and Denmark, making cooperation preferable to annexation.
• Conley sees progress toward Ukraine peace talks on the Ukrainian and European side, but no positive signals from Russia.
• Arctic security concerns include increased Russian submarine activity and Chinese research vessels, but she says these do not justify annexation threats.