If it happened by force, then the US has attacked the EU.
I almost cannot conceive that it would happen.
However, if it does, the EU would have to force all US military personnel stationed on the bases across the EU to leave the region.
I almost cannot conceive that it would happen.
However, if it does, the EU would have to force all US military personnel stationed on the bases across the EU to leave the region.
We could very well end up in a situation where we have the US and Russia working together to destabilize the EU, perhaps European leaders fear this and will let Greenland go.
I included the economic disaster in my list. I just felt that I needed to explain why I considered it a military disaster even though the US could likely "win" Greenland. It would lose Europe and the ability to project military power through Europe. This impacts the ability to project power in Africa and the Middle East. It'll lead to a cascading military failure which leads to lots of other problems including further economic problems.
And they should also consider all equipment, munition and weapons stored at those facilities, including the B61 nukes, null and void. Because their former NATO allies will never ever allow the US to take equipment which could be used against them later on back home.
And if they come with the argument "But that is against international law", they should have thought about that before illegally abducting a foreign president from a country at peace according to those same international laws.
I absolutely can. A decade ago, it would have been inconceivable, but we have gone seriously off the rails since then.
They will claim to annex only the territory of the American bases, then it will be a 10-mile strip around the bases, access to the sea, airspace, the exclusive economic zone, etc.
They can play this game for months and years if we let them. Crimea came under Russian control because it was home to Russia's largest naval base, Simferopol.
I doubt that the US would invade Greenland without first pulling out of Europe (unless they do an all-out attack with also the troops in continental Europe, but that is something i doubt even Trump would do)
Greenland is not part of the EU. Their citizens are Danish citizens, and as such, they are EU citizens. Confused yet? Greenland is a member of NATO - which is actually much more problematic. If Trump invades Greenland, he’s delivered NATO’s head on a silver platter to Vladimir Putin. I’d call that aiding and abetting an enemy - an act of treason - but I’m old school.
Since this is HN, what’s the tech angle?
The EU will restrict or outright ban U.S. Big Tech. Big Tech stocks will tank, and we can expect hundreds of thousands of layoffs as a result. More concerning, EU consumers will boycott as many American products as they can - just as Canadians have done. That means a wave of U.S. business failures and even more job losses. It’s also a big win for China, who will happily fill the gap.
Oh, and all U.S. military personnel and their families? Deported immediately. My crystal ball isn’t telling me what happens to the materiel.
So much winning!