Danish scholar Jan Oberg has issued a stark warning about the escalating militarization of the Arctic and the implications of the United States' pursuit of Greenland, criticizing the U.S. approach as a violation of international norms and calling for a global nonviolent campaign to counter what he perceives as a dangerous shift in global politics.
In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) on Sunday, Oberg, who is the founder of the Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research, described the U.S. interest in Greenland, particularly under the Trump administration, as a move driven by a desire for resource control and a unilateral vision of American survival.
"This is a violation of everything, as the Danish Prime Minister said. And I would say there are moments in international politics where we lack words. Europe is not going to do anything. It will state things, but it cannot prevent Trump from doing things. He has a plan, and the plan is to make America able to survive by holding on to resources around the world. It can survive without cooperating with the rest of the world. That is what Greenland is about. We're facing something fundamentally new where the old international politics, international relations, and political science concepts no longer cover what is going on. We're into psychology, we're into the end views of the world. We are into militarism, we're into emotionalism. And he will do what he wants to do. He can do it because he has a stronger military behind him than any other country in the world. Well, I have never seen anything like that," he said.
Oberg advocated for a non-violent global campaign to counter U.S. threats.
"We need to have a global campaign where non-violence comes to the surface again. There's nobody who wants to fight the United States with military means. We have to do it nonviolently. It means throwing the American bases out of Europe, it means preventing American planes from landing, it means citizens boycotting American products, etc., etc. We've got to tell (U.S. President Donald) Trump that he cannot continue, because if we don't, he will continue," he said.
Beyond resistance, Oberg also highlighted the media's role in promoting alternative, positive futures for the Arctic. He sees the region as ripe for global, regional, and national cooperation, advocating its complete demilitarization through international treaties. Oberg expressed concern over the rapid expansion of U.S. military presence in Nordic countries.
The Danish expert believes that Greenland should serve as a hub for global cooperation, not militarization.
"The media must also think of alternatives and positive futures. This is a region in which there's ample opportunity for global, regional and national cooperation. It means that this area must be demilitarised by treaty once and for all. We have 42 new American bases in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Norway within two years and no public discussion. This must stop, and instead we must look at this as a wonderful opportunity for global cooperation to the benefit of the locals, to the benefit of the Nordic countries and that region and Greenland in the middle, and to the benefit of the rest of the world," he said.
In the latest developments, U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday once again claimed that the United States will acquire Denmark's Greenland "one way or the other.” Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said that, regarding Greenland, he was not considering leasing or short-term arrangements, but "acquiring" the territory.
Danish expert urges global response to U.S. threat over Greenland
Danish expert urges global response to U.S. threat over Greenland
