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Güncelleme tarihi: 20 Şub
Donald Trump announced that he wants to buy the Island of Greenland with a statement that surprised everyone again.
Why does the new president of the United States want to add this huge island covered with glaciers to his country? Why is this island of interest to Trump?
We Turks may be surprised by this. Because we don't know much about what's happening in this part of the world. But it is certainly not surprising for the countries of the European Union, the United States, Russia and China. Because of the location of this island, the economic and strategic importance of the island is extremely great.
Let's start with the location and importance of Greenland Island without worrying about the magazine aspect of the job.
Where is Greenland? Greenland is an autonomous region covered by the largest ice cap in the arctic with approximately 2 million km2 and is connected to Denmark. It is an island located in the east of Canada between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. Dec.
Greenland is the largest island in the world by land area, although it has enough people to fill only one football stadium (56,000).
The island's importance stems from the fact that it controls the southern part of the Arctic region, which hosts the shortest route of Asia-Europe sea transportation with oil, natural gas and rare mineral deposits under glaciers that are melting faster as a result of climate change.
Some experts point to the Barents Sea, located just east of Greenland, and other parts of the Arctic, along with the Middle East and Central Asia, as among the regions where Deconfliction is highly likely.
It is widely accepted in Russian military circles that competition for the natural resources that exist in the region can lead to a conflict and that this is a major threat to Russia.
The Arctic region does not belong to any country. International waters, except for the territorial waters of the countries that have coasts to the region, which are 200 nautical miles, are open for use by every state.
The United States, Norway, Canada, Denmark and Russia, as well as China, which are referred to as the Arctic States, have conflicting interests in this region. In this competition, whoever controls the island of Greenland will have a great strategic superiority from an economic and military point of view.
In addition, it is trying to grab a share of economic resources and advantages by publishing strategy documents for the region in countries such as India, France, Poland, England.
But has this importance of the island just been noticed? No. Trump is not the first US president to come up with the idea of buying Greenland. president Andrew Johnson in 1867, Truman at the end of World War II, were the presidents who brought up the purchase of Greenland. Probably, there have been other US Presidents who were filled with this desire, but did not express it.
Neither proposal came to fruition, but under the terms of the 1951 defense agreement, the United States got possession of the Thule Air Base in northwestern Greenland. This is the northernmost outpost of the US military equipped with a missile warning system.
To put it briefly, Trump's main motivation is more likely to be to limit the economic and military advantages that Russia and China will gain in the Arctic region, rather than the natural riches on the island of Greenland. Besides, of course, it will have clinched its own economic and military interests by keeping these countries out of this region or limiting their capabilities.
Let's start with Russia.
The Arctic region is home to extensive mineral resources in the arc of oil and gas.
In a study published by the US Geological Survey in 2008, it was estimated that there are 90 billion barrels of oil, 47 billion cubic meters of natural gas and 44 billion cubic meters of liquid natural gas in the Arctic region. since the mid-1990s, India, China, Brazil and other developing countries, many oil and mining companies have invested in the Arctic region.
The Russians know that there are extensive hydrocarbon deposits under the Barents Sea and the Kara Sea. “Which country has how much right to these resources?” the riddle is still waiting for a solution.
The importance of the region for Russia has increased even more in recent years. in a statement in 2008, then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev declared the Arctic to be “Russia's natural underground resource base" in the 21st century.
Russians see the region as critical for competition in global markets, economic and social development, and the wealth of their country.
The Russians had managed to maintain their post-Soviet economic and partly military power through energy production in Western Siberia. But in the coming years, energy resources in Western Siberia will begin to decrease and production will begin to decline. Strategic Arctic underground resources will compensate for the loss of production in currently operated areas.
The largest nuclear naval base is also on the Kola peninsula, which immediately neighbors the Barents Sea and is located next to Finland and Norway. The Russians are constantly improving the Northern Naval Command to protect their interests in the region; they are demonstrating their strength and capabilities to their opponents by conducting major exercises every six months.
US security experts consider Greenland Island a critical piece of land to restrict Russian military activities and prevent a potential attack on the United States from Russia.
As for China,
In addition to supporting Russia financially, China continues to conduct scientific research, underground resource extraction and infrastructure construction in the region.
As the climate change crisis reshapes Greenland and the Arctic region, it also offers new opportunities for new transport and trade routes. Arctic sea transportation has increased by 37% over the past decade, partly due to melting ice.
China sees the Arctic as the new "Silk Road" to shorten traditional trade routes. Using the Northwest Passage and Northeast passage to reach Europe provides a 10-12 day advantage compared to using the Strait of Malaka-Suez Canal route.
From the Port of Rotterdam (Netherlands) to the Port of Yokohama (Japan), 13,950 km when using the Northwest Passage; 13,360 km when using the Northeast Passage; 23,470 km when using the Panama Canal route.; 21,170 km when using the Suez Canal route. it is in the distance. The Arctic region is shortening maritime transport routes for China by almost half.
The plan that Trump has in mind for US institutions is perhaps to take control of these new routes. Considering that Trump also wants to take control of the Panama Canal, we can see the importance he attaches to maritime transportation and trade routes.
After all, the economic and commercial value of the Arctic region is increasing every day as a result of global temperature increase and melting of glaciers. Melting facilitates access to mines and minerals.
The wealth of critical minerals and hydrocarbon deposits found on the Island of Greenland and in the surrounding marine areas reveals the relevance of Trump's Greenland move to Russia and China.
The existence of this wealth is Decelerating the sharing war and power struggle between the USA, Russia and China. Each of them sees the other's presence in the region as a contrast to their own interests.
It seems that as the ice melts with the warming of the weather, tension and competition in the polar region will increase even more.
Trump has imposed new customs duties on Canada; he aspired to Denmark's territory. How will these moves affect the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO)?
It is certain that Trump's impulsive moves threaten global peace. Trump does not care much about alliances, international cooperation and state law.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said: “The island of Greenland is not for sale, this is a ridiculous idea!" he reacted to Trump by saying.
But we shouldn't rely too much on this either. We know from Trump's first presidential term that those who did not give him what they wanted changed their minds soon after.
We'd better be prepared for Trump's new demands for the Middle East as well. Turkey may also be faced with unexpected new proposals.