It’s still snowing, and the temperature is well below freezing in Greenland. But the political climate continues to grow hotter as Donald Trump attempts to pressure America’s few remaining European allies to side with his irrational obsession over ownership of the island. His latest weapon of choice?

TARIFFS.

That is, after all, his favorite word. Still trying to convince Americans that it’s the other countries who pay them — or maybe he actually believes his own lies — he has now threatened a February 1st increase of 10% on tariffs against any country that dares to oppose his acquisition of the autonomous territory of fellow NATO member Denmark. And if that doesn’t do the trick, he said that he might increase it another 15% until a deal was reached.

Thus far, that would include the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Netherlands — all of whom have dispatched a small number of troops to Greenland in what is being called a reconnaissance mission. Yesterday, Trump posted on Truth Social that they were playing “a very dangerous game,” and that the very “Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet” were at stake. [Henri Astier and Bernd Debusmann, Jr., BBC, January 17, 2026.]

Quite rightly, the response has been the opposite of what he would have hoped. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Trump’s action was “completely wrong,” while French President Emmanuel Macron labelled it “unacceptable.” [Id.]

And the people of both Greenland and Denmark took to the streets en masse to protest the attempted hostile takeover.

Meanwhile, Mark Carney — Prime Minister of our (former) best friend to the north, Canada — traveled to China to meet with Xi Jinping, where they took a first step toward resetting their countries’ relationship by agreeing on a lowering of tariffs. Smart move on both their parts.

At the risk of repeating myself again and again and again, this whole idiotic idea — aside from being completely illegal — is totally unnecessary. Trump’s rationale is that Greenland’s proximity to the North American continent makes our control of it essential for their (and our) defense against Russia and China. But we already have a military presence on the island, and a treaty that allows us to deploy as large a force there as we deem necessary. And the EU nations are on board with an increase in defensive measures in the Arctic region.

So what it all boils down to, again, is Trump’s neurotic, insatiable need for ownership: ownership of land, of people . . . and let us not forget those precious minerals and rare earth metals hiding under all of that white Greenland snow.

Because that is what it’s really about: unlimited wealth, and the power that goes with it.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/18/26