A former CIA covert intelligence officer has shed light on what he believes are the true motivations behind US President Donald Trump's push to acquire Greenland. Andrew Bustamante, who served in the US Air Force and nuclear ICBM operations before joining the CIA's National Clandestine Service, now hosts the EverydaySpy podcast.
Bustamante told Express.co.uk that American dominance in the Arctic is critical to US primacy, and that economic independence through access to Greenland's strategic minerals is a key driver. He noted that global warming is making more of Greenland's resources accessible, including rare earth minerals needed for military advancement.
However, Bustamante acknowledged there is no legal precedent for the US to take Greenland by force. He suggested the US might strike an economic deal with pro-independence parties in Greenland, bypassing diplomatic relations to establish commercial ties directly with local businesses.
He predicted that Denmark would be unhappy with any such arrangement, but Greenlanders might be more satisfied. Bustamante also noted that public interest in the stand-off may wane once commercial agreements are reached, as Trump understands that attention fades when a story 'doesn't bleed'.
Trump has claimed the US needs Greenland for national security, threatening to take it 'the easy way or the hard way'. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has rejected the idea, stating that Greenland and Denmark alone have the right to decide the territory's future.
