Trump’s “Wild West” and the Greenland Move. “Greenland is Ours …The U.S. is Ready to Use Force …”

By Ret Admiral Cem Gürdeniz

Michel Chossudovsky Jan 19

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[This article by Ret. Adm. Cem Gurdeniz was also published on Global Research. You can read it here.] –

TAP – The Greenland Grabber dumps any pretence of legality.  The rush for global dominance is on.  The Constitution is over.  ‘Shared democratic values’ are out.  The only yardstick from here is ‘is this good for the USA – and global domination by the USA?’  Protectionism.  Grabbing neighbours.  Domination of commerce.  Washington to rule over Europe, subordinates not partners.  Is the UK going to be cut out of our former role as US poodle?  Apart from Blair who is being posted into his latest Middle Eastern role…..the same Blair who failed  to be appointed as President of Europe.  The ultimate war maker and friend of the Bushes and the globalists.  He sold out his country for his own advantage decades ago.  England should be a force for peace – and negotiate with Russia based on Russian proposals, the policy of the English Democrats.  Or are we to become Trump poodles like Blair?  Farage is already in the Trump camp?

The United States now openly questions the legality of Denmark’s control over Greenland and does not rule out an annexation scenario. According to Trump’s homeland security adviser and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller,“we live in a real world governed by force and power…”. U.S. Vice President JD Vance also states, in summary:

“Friendship is friendship, but Greenland is ours. Europe and Denmark failed to ensure Greenland’s security. The United States will protect its interests and is ready to use force if necessary.”

These words, spoken at a time when the U.S. defense budget is proposed to reach $1.5 trillion in 2027 and when Trump’s directives have halted the participation and funding of U.S. federal agencies in 31 UN bodies and 35 non-UN organizations, strongly evoke a period from two centuries ago.

A Repetition of the Wild West

The Wild West period of the 19th century was not only America’s geographical expansion westward; it represented a mentality in which “state authority was withdrawn, law was replaced by brute force, and individual violence was legitimized.” The federal center was weak, rules were temporary, and only power and weapons spoke. Justice was often shaped by those who drew their guns faster.

While settlers advanced, railways were built, borders shifted, and the old order was destroyed, yet a new one could not be established in its place.

This chaotic interlude was a history of irregularity, arbitrariness, and the desire to impose order through force—later romanticized as adventure narratives in Hollywood films.

Today, the picture the United States has entered under the Trump era resembles a modern version of this Wild West mentality.

Institutional checks and balances are eroding, the binding nature of law is being questioned, and the principle of “power first, rules second” is coming to the forefront of both domestic and foreign policy. As the value of international agreements declines, threatening rhetoric, sanctions, and unilateral decisions are becoming normalized. Just as in the 19th century, central authority is no longer an actor that establishes order, but one that instrumentalizes conflict.

Therefore, the Trump era is not an exception or a temporary deviation; it should be read as a harbinger of a new global era of Wild West–style irregularity. This period—in which rules dissolve, limits are pushed, and the use of force is legitimized on pragmatic rather than moral grounds—represents a dangerous transition zone, signaling that the old order has closed while the new one has not yet been born.

Welcome to the Era of Anarchy

The year following Trump’s return to the political stage demonstrates that the international system is no longer merely “out of the ordinary” but has entered an anarchic phase that is directly out of control.

The U.S. support and legitimization of open massacre and genocide in Gaza; attacks on Iran following Israeli directives; the installation of a militant previously associated with terrorism at the head of Syria; simultaneous continuation of Ukraine–Russia peace talks alongside UAV attacks on Putin’s residence with CIA support; military pressure and operations against Nigeria in Africa; the kidnapping of a head of state and open regime intervention in Venezuela; the seizure of a Russian-flagged tanker by a U.S. Coast Guard vessel in international waters of the North Atlantic; and finally, even Greenland becoming a desirable “geopolitical object”—all these developments are not isolated crises. They are indicators that the so-called Western Hemisphere is no longer a rules-based order and has entered a Wild West–style process of collapse. Law, norms, and institutions are being replaced by brute force, faits accomplis, and naked interest calculations.

It is Greenland’s Turn

Trump’s declaration of intent to annex Greenland while the Venezuelan intervention was still ongoing marked one of the most serious breaking points of this brutal period. NATO’s Secretary General, along with the UK and EU countries—who had reacted very weakly to the U.S. operation to kidnap Maduro—found themselves in a profound crisis of confidence in the face of Trump’s demand. For them, the United States had been sacred. They could not imagine a world without the U.S. in terms of both energy and defense. Yet this same United States was now openly demanding territory from Europe, rather than defending it if necessary. After major targets such as Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela, it was Greenland’s turn—an integral geographical part of the North American continent. But why is Greenland, a territory of the Danish Kingdom with a 42,000-kilometer coastline and an indigenous population of only 50,000, so important? Because it controls the Arctic Ocean.

Melting Glaciers and Changing Geopolitics

As global warming accelerates, the Arctic Ocean has become not only an ecological but also a geopolitical fracture zone. Since 1978, Arctic ice coverage has shrunk by approximately 39 percent, with an average annual ice loss of around 70,000 square kilometers. Simulations indicate that after 2040, the region will largely be open to year-round maritime transportation. This has opened new maritime corridors while bringing long-inaccessible energy and mineral resources to the center of global competition. Today, approximately 30 percent of global natural gas reserves and 13 percent of crude oil reserves are estimated to be located in the Arctic basin. This is vital for the Russian Federation, which controls about 65 percent of the Arctic coastline, as nearly 80 percent of Russia’s hydrocarbon reserves are located there. Accordingly, Russia has long viewed the Arctic Ocean as its “front yard” and has reinforced this stance with economic and military measures since 2007. By contrast, the U.S. share of the Arctic Ocean is roughly 3 percent; adding Greenland would raise this to nearly 15 percent.

New Sea Routes

A second major reason the Arctic has become critical to the global system is the emergence of new transportation routes that will revolutionize maritime trade. Melting ice has dramatically shortened distances between the Atlantic and Pacific through routes such as the Northern Sea Route (NSR), the Northwest Passage, and the Arctic Bridge. These routes enable substantial fuel savings and call into question dependence on the Suez and Panama Canals. According to a Chinese study, China could save nearly $100 billion annually by using the Russian-controlled NSR between Europe and its own coasts.

Chronology of Transits

This transformation has moved beyond theory and has been confirmed by real-world transits. In 2016, the cruise ship Crystal Serenity navigated the Northwest Passage; in 2018, the container ship Venta Maersk reached the Baltic via the NSR; in 2021, the LNG tanker Christophe de Margerie transited unescorted during winter conditions; and in the winter of 2024, the non-ice-class container ship Flying Fish 1 successfully completed a Saint Petersburg–Shanghai voyage. The Arctic has now become a systemic transportation corridor rather than an exception. Consequently, the NSR has emerged as the first large-scale global maritime route operating outside effective U.S. naval control. U.S. power rests on its ability to control global sea lanes and impose blockades when necessary—but this is not possible in the NSR. If the U.S. gains control of Greenland, its ability to do so would increase.

Military Mobilization in the Arctic

Developments in the Arctic have created a strategic rupture unfavorable to the United States. Washington, which underinvested in the Arctic after the Cold War, now faces severe asymmetry against Russia’s fleet of 11 icebreakers—eight nuclear-powered—along with the Northern Fleet and extensive infrastructure. Russia, the only country possessing nuclear icebreakers, has established a de facto monopoly in the Arctic. The Northern Fleet constitutes approximately 67 percent of the Russian Navy. The region is fortified with bases in Murmansk and Yamal, early-warning radars, airfields, and rapid-response forces. More than 50 percent of the Arctic Ocean falls within Russia’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone, while only 12 percent remains high seas—reinforcing Russia’s legal and geographical advantage. The United States seeks to counterbalance this through NATO. Norway has become Washington’s battering ram as the only NATO member with a permanent military headquarters north of the Arctic Circle. Exercises such as Trident Juncture, Cold Response, and ICEX; continued British and American troop deployments in Norway; and the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO in 2024 are all elements of this strategy. Yet these measures fall far short of offsetting Russia’s overwhelming Arctic superiority. This is why Greenland stands out.

The GIUK Gap and Greenland’s Military Importance

Greenland—the world’s largest island—is two-thirds the size of India and home to only 56,000 indigenous inhabitants.

Since the Cold War, it has been a keystone in monitoring and constraining Russian naval access to the Atlantic via the Northern Fleet.

Russian nuclear submarines and surface vessels from the Barents and Norwegian Seas must largely pass through the GIUK Gap (Greenland–Iceland–United Kingdom) to reach the Atlantic.

Consequently, Greenland lies at the core of U.S. anti-submarine warfare architecture. SOSUS-type seabed acoustic systems detect Russian submarine signatures, enabling early warning, tracking, and potential engagement.

In 1951, the United States and Denmark signed a security cooperation agreement assigning the defense of Greenland to the U.S. against the Soviet threat.

Today, the U.S. operates the Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base), part of the NORAD missile and space-tracking network. The base hosts ballistic missile early-warning radars, space surveillance and satellite tracking systems, Arctic command and control functions, and critical sensor infrastructure supporting the northern leg of the GIUK Gap. Although personnel numbers have declined from 8,000–10,000 during the Cold War to approximately 600–800 today, its technological density makes it a cornerstone of U.S. homeland defense and Atlantic access control. Greenland is therefore not merely a geographical island; it is a strategic gateway overseeing Russia’s naval access to the Atlantic. The United States, however, is not content with maintaining a single base. This is one of the primary reasons behind Washington’s growing interest—and desire—for Greenland. Control of this line is the insurance policy of U.S. nuclear deterrence and Atlantic dominance. Greenland’s proximity to the United States further reinforces Washington’s perception of the island as a direct security zone.

[Image: Strategic map of Greenland]

The American Nuclear Weapons Scandal of 1968

Despite Denmark’s ban on nuclear weapons on its territory, it was revealed following an accident in 1968 that the United States had secretly deployed nuclear weapons in Greenland. On January 21, 1968, a U.S. Air Force B-52G Stratofortress conducting a continuous nuclear-armed patrol known as “Chrome Dome” crashed onto ice approximately 13 kilometers from Thule Air Base after a cockpit fire. The aircraft carried four B28 thermonuclear bombs. While no nuclear detonation occurred, the conventional explosives shattered the bomb casings, dispersing radioactive materials, including plutonium, over a wide area and severely contaminating the site. This incident demonstrated that Greenland had long been integrated into U.S. nuclear strategy without Denmark’s knowledge. Nothing has changed. The United States continues to view Greenland as a strategic zone, and Trump seeks sovereign control—not merely presence.

China and the Arctic Region

Another factor complicating the Arctic balance for the United States is China. Beijing defines itself as a “near-Arctic state” and seeks to incorporate the NSR into the Belt and Road Initiative through the Ice Silk Road. For China, this route reduces dependence on the Strait of Malacca, lowers transportation costs, and enhances energy security. Gazprom-CNPC cooperation, LNG and oil shipments, mining investments in Greenland, and energy agreements with Alaska reflect this strategy. Greenland contains 25 of the world’s 34 critical minerals—essential for electric vehicle batteries, defense systems, semiconductors, and advanced technologies. Previously inaccessible due to ice cover, these resources are now more economically viable as glaciers melt. This makes Greenland a strategic treasure. China’s growing interest, combined with Sino-Russian cooperation, has transformed the Arctic into a multi-actor competitive arena. As the region opens to global transportation, Washington fears China’s entry into its backyard—making Greenland a crucial transit and control point.

Conclusion

The Arctic Ocean has become one of the most critical arenas of hegemonic competition in the 21st century. As glaciers melt, not only do seas open, but the foundational assumptions of Anglo-Saxon maritime hegemony erode.

For the first time, U.S. global maritime dominance—anchored in the dollar and naval power—faces a permanent alternative.

This reality creates a high-risk environment prone to direct great-power confrontation rather than proxy conflicts.

What is unfolding in the Arctic is not merely about new trade routes or energy reserves; it signals the dissolution of the post-World War II, sea-centric Western order and the emergence of an era where rules are replaced by naked power. With crises stretching from Gaza to Syria, Africa to Latin America, the Arctic has become the coldest yet most exposed stage of this breakdown.

Greenland is the cancer of the Arctic struggle. While the primary battleground for the United States will be the Pacific, the Arctic Ocean is at least equally significant because it surrounds the geopolitical living space the U.S. has defined as the Western Hemisphere. How long can Washington tolerate this? Greenland gained autonomy in 1979 and, with the Self-Government Act of 2009, acquired the right to hold an independence referendum. Today it has its own parliament and government, with Denmark’s authority largely confined to defense and foreign policy. In recent years, discussion of a referendum has intensified. This situation creates a “window of opportunity” for the United States. According to Trump, Denmark’s control is weakening, Greenland seeks independence, China is entering the Arctic, and melting ice is opening the region strategically. For these reasons, Greenland has become critically important for Trump.

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Ret Admiral Cem Gürdeniz, Writer, Geopolitical Expert, Theorist and creator of the Turkish Bluehomeland (Mavi Vatan) doctrine. He served as the Chief of Strategy Department and then the head of Plans and Policy Division in Turkish Naval Forces Headquarters. As his combat duties, he has served as the commander of Amphibious Ships Group and Mine Fleet between 2007 and 2009. He retired in 2012. He established Hamit Naci Blue Homeland Foundation in 2021. He has published numerous books on geopolitics, maritime strategy, maritime history and maritime culture. He is also a honorary member of ATASAM.

He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG).

TAP – This next video is good, but fails to realise that Trump is not a one man operation.  The Neocons dominate US politics, both parties and have a continuity of agenda towards world domination over decades.  Europe and Russia are natural allies in these circumstances but our politicians are all bought, and the electoral system corrupted.  We need to save and woirk wih Russia or forever be ruled by Trump.

MSN writes –

European leaders are privately forming “war councils” to plan for victory in a potential third world war, Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orbán has claimed, fuelling fears of a widening global conflict.

Speaking at an anti-war rally on Saturday, 17 January 2026, Orbán said the European Union was no longer focused on diplomacy but had shifted towards preparations for large-scale military confrontation, warning that the bloc was moving steadily towards direct conflict with Russia.