COFA for Greenland? Maybe...

"Greenland - for your sake and ours, let us hurry and get you in our orbit. Trust me, you need it. We need to have you. If Russia wants you instead of us, Russia will not be as nice about the way they go about it. Just ask the good people of Ukraine."  

Is Greenland "off the table" for the US? Maybe not. The wheels have been turning how to get Greenland in our orbit without ticking off everyone from the Danish to Greenland itself. As much as Donald Trump would like to tuck this very large island under our wing as a state or a territory, it is looking more and more like that will not happen. So, now what? Maybe a COFA?

What is a COFA? It stands for a Compact of Free Association. It is an agreement we would have with Greenland where we would provide Greenland with essential services, military protection, and duty-free trade. With all of that, Greenland would still maintain its independence. This is the important point - even though Denmark still thinks it has control over Greenland, Greenland wants independence. Ergo, that is why we have an agreement promising military protection. An independent Greenland would not be a part of NATO, even though Denmark is. 

We already have COFA agreements with places like the Marshall Islands. The Marshall Islands are important to us, thus the need for a COFA. Greenland is also important to us - very important. It seems that much of the future action will take place in the Artic. We have some Artic exposure with Alaska, Canada has a bunch, and so does Greenland. Get the picture? This is why Trump is leaning so hard on Canada, as well as Greenland. If we don't get much of the Artic secured near term, then it could be Russia or China making a play for it.

Having a COFA would also give us more leverage with future mineral deals with Greenland. We could mine valuable minerals and then split the proceeds with an independent Greenland. With that scenario, everybody wins. 

The world continues to change. Enemies from yesteryear are close allies today. Russia, who once was our "friend", is now the world's bad boy. And China, who helped us during WWII, is no longer to be trusted. Going forward, we need new friends. Close friends, who we can depend upon.

It is a very dangerous world. Look what just erupted between India and Pakistan. Our intelligence services are suspecting that Russia will launch a surprise offensive during the cease fire they called in Ukraine. And Gaza? Still a got mess.

Greenland - for your sake and ours, let us hurry and get you in our orbit. Trust me, you need it. We need to have you. If Russia wants you instead of us, Russia will not be as nice about the way they go about it. Just ask the good people of Ukraine.