The controversy that President Trump is provoking with his statements proclaiming that he will take possession of Greenland is a monumental blunder that places the United States in direct rivalry with its NATO allies. It demonstrates a profound diplomatic incapacity in its approach to an issue that should have been handled in private meetings, leading to a mutually beneficial and mutually acceptable agreement for both parties.
It is incomprehensible that Trump and his cabinet might be so blind as not to realize that the defense of Greenland can be resolved through NATO with the significant and powerful participation of the United States; that, in addition, other military bases of his country can be negotiated on the gigantic and icy island and, In addition, agreements on the exploitation of natural resources could easily be reached by showing both natives and Danes the enormous financial and technical capacity that would make this possible.
It is also important to emphasize that international law has evolved over the centuries, shifting from land-grabbing colonial powers to modern treaties that honour borders and sovereignty, largely developed after World War II. There is, therefore, a high degree of respect for the sovereignty of others in today’s world, especially when it comes to friends or allies.
Greenland was discovered by Norse explorer Erik the Red, who arrived circa A.D. 985 with a fleet of Viking ships, and became a colony of Denmark in 1814 and 2009. Greenland became a self-governing country within the Danish kingdom, and the island has the right to independence when so requested by local voters. Then all kinds of negotiations leading to these achievements were and are possible both with the natives and with the Danish state. 
In the meantime, the US Department of Defense has been operating since 1951 the remote Pituffik Space Base (previously known as the Thule Air Force Base) in northwestern Greenland, which was built after the U.S. and Denmark signed the Defense of Greenland Treaty. This base supports missile warning sensors of Space Delta 4, and space surveillance and space control sensors of Space Delta 2, as well as missile defense systems, and space surveillance operations for the U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and NATO. For its part, Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command is headquartered in Nuuk, the capital, and tasked with the surveillance, assertion of sovereignty and military defense of Greenland and the Faroe Islands. It has smaller satellite stations across the island. Greenland also guards part of what is known as the GIUK (Greenland, Iceland, United Kingdom) Gap, where NATO monitors Russian naval movements in the North Atlantic.
There is no indication that Russia or China are operating in threatening Greenland waters and, as we see 
in the previous paragraph, the territory is not defenseless. In fact, the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, an elite Danish naval unit that conducts long-range reconnaissance and enforces Danish sovereignty in the Arctic wilderness, is stationed in Greenland. These elite troops, expertly trained to navigate the harsh Arctic environment on sleds and skis, possess a unique capability that neither the Chinese nor the Russians can match. They are prepared to excel in the most extreme weather conditions, highlighting a strategic advantage that is critical for operations in this challenging region. In addition to these special elite forces, Denmark has several surface patrol ships and surveillance aircraft, and the kingdom is moving to further strengthen its military presence around Greenland and in the wider North Atlantic.
Last year, the government announced a roughly 14.6 billion-kroner ($2.3 billion) agreement with parties including the governments of Greenland and the Faroe Islands, another self-governing territory of Denmark, to “improve capabilities for surveillance and maintaining sovereignty in the region.”
It is important that the military, the cabinet, and his Republicans advise President Trump to regain his sanity and negotiate in good faith with Denmark and its Greenlandic protectorate.
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