Reuters: Trump’s Greenland gambit sparks alarm among allies

Last month, officials from the United States, Denmark and Greenland met in the Arctic island's capital in what sources described as a normal session, with no discussion of a U.S. takeover, as noted by Reuters. 

That changed less than two weeks later when President Donald Trump appointed Jeff Landry as a special envoy to Greenland.

Landry posted on social media that he would help "make Greenland part of the U.S." The announcement stunned Copenhagen and blindsided senior U.S. officials working on European and NATO issues.

The Trump administration’s approach, which has often excluded traditional national security advisers, “appeared to be driven solely by Trump and a small group of close aides,” sources said. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly defended the approach, saying, “The president was elected to implement America First foreign policy, and he has done so more effectively through his top-down approach.”

Concerns escalated after Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller declined to rule out military action in Greenland in a January 5 CNN interview. According to him, “nobody is going to fight the United States over the future of Greenland.”

Trump and his aides appeared to double down on the possibility of force, sowing confusion in Washington and among U.S. allies. Lawmakers warned the administration against proceeding, with some Republicans fearing a potential impeachment probe.

Trump later eased tensions, withdrawing his threat of tariffs on allies supporting Greenland and saying he had “formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region” with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

Kori Schake, a former Pentagon and White House official, said, "Trump is so erratic with his threats, there's no way to establish that he won't turn right around and do it again. He has made the United States untrustworthy to our closest friends.”

Trump and supporters argue the U.S. needs Greenland to counter Russian and Chinese influence, despite the U.S. already having a base there under a 1951 treaty.

The centralised, personalised approach has also marked Trump’s handling of Ukraine and Syria, often sidelining career diplomats and subject matter experts. 

A State Department spokesperson said, "There is tremendous collaboration throughout President Trump’s administration, and there are dedicated public servants dutifully advancing key priorities. Then there are the anonymous sources whining to the press who clearly don’t have the judgment or temperament to implement President Trump’s agenda."

By Aghakazim Guliyev