Scientists have uncovered an ‘Achilles heel’ in Greenland that could end up foiling President Donald Trump’s plans to seize control of the territory.
The US president has been very vocal both to the press and on social media about his wishes to take over Greenland from Denmark in recent weeks.
After making a series of worrying remarks, a joint statement was released by the UK, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, which warned that Trump’s threats towards Greenland ‘undermines transatlantic relations’.
In the statement, it reads: “We stand in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland. Building on the process begun last week, we stand ready to engage in a dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that we stand firmly behind.”
In retaliation, Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on Nato allies if they do not back his plans to take over Greenland.
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Although, a new discovery could end up derailing the US plans to move their control over to Greenland.
This comes after scientists found a hidden geological weakness underneath the territory’s ice sheet.
In a new study published in Geology, a layer of sediment made up of sand and soft dirt was uncovered, which could result in more glaciers in Greenland melting.
This means that the ice sheet could be less stable than initially thought and could affect Trump’s hopes of securing Greenland for the US.
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Researcher Yan Yang from the University of California, San Diego, revealed in a statement: “If more meltwater reaches the bed, these sediments may further reduce strength, speed up ice flow, and increase ice loss to the ocean.
“This means some regions of Greenland may be more vulnerable to climate change than current models assume.”
However, despite increased interest in recent times over natural resources in Greenland, Trump has claimed that the US needs the territory for ‘national security, not minerals’.
Why does Trump want to control Greenland?
Since the second World War, the US has operated the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland which is used for crucial missile warning, missile defense, and space surveillance.
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The only other country to have a base on the island is Denmark, which Greenland is an autonomous territory of.
The US president has repeatedly referenced potential threats from Russia and China when discussing his wishes to take over Greenland from Denmark.
In a post on social media, he wrote: “Nato has been telling Denmark, for 20 years, that 'you have to get the Russian threat away from Greenland'. Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it. Now it is time, and it will be done!!!”
Although, this isn’t the first time Trump has expressed interest in Greenland as he offered to buy the land back in 2019, but was told it was not for sale.
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The prime minister of Greenland, Jens Frederik Nielsen, has responded to Trump’s recent threats by saying ‘that’s enough now’.
Nielsen went on to say that the idea of the US seizing control over Greenland is a ‘fantasy’.