MOSCOW, January 13. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump is interested in Greenland not just from a military standpoint, but also for its copious natural resources, namely mineral deposits, Nikolay Novik from the HSE University told TASS.
Establishing control over the world’s largest island will make it possible for the US "to create a stronghold in the future 'Battle for the Arctic'" and get a leg up in northern logistics, as well as deploy large task forces in Greenland, the expert said.
"We should not forget about the economic aspect - Greenland is very rich in natural resources, rare and rare-earth metals. Some experts put the value of the island’s resources at more than $1 trillion," Novik noted.
Greenland is not a sovereign nation but an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, the expert stressed. The local population has made no official steps toward secession even as some actors have "fueled" this sentiment and amid speculation about a future referendum. "On the contrary, the authorities of Denmark and Greenland have already come out strongly against this idea, stressing that ‘Greenland is not for sale’," the expert added.
Donald Trump has repeatedly made statements that Greenland should become part of the United States.