Trump and Greenland: What to know

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Welcome to The Logoff: Hello readers, this has been a breakneck information week. Right here’s one massive story that shouldn’t get misplaced within the shuffle: After Venezuela, President Donald Trump is popping his gaze to Greenland.

What's Trump making an attempt to do? Purchase Greenland, any manner he can. For now, it looks like Plan A is to attempt to purchase it, which Denmark says is a nonstarter, or maybe to pay Greenland’s residents to secede. However the White Home said this week that the navy is “all the time an possibility.”

On Friday, Trump told reporters that “If we don’t do it the straightforward manner, we’re going to do it the laborious manner.”

What does Trump truly need Greenland for? Trump has described buying Greenland as needed for nationwide safety, together with claiming that there are “Russian and Chinese language ships far and wide” close to the island.

Nevertheless it’s deceptive to recommend the US would wish to personal the island to shore up safety considerations. Not solely is Denmark a NATO ally, however the US and Denmark have a separate agreement giving the US important room to scale up its navy presence in Greenland if it needs.

That leaves one other clarification: That is one massive self-importance mission for a president in his final time period in workplace, one who sees himself as a dealmaker and an actual property developer. As Trump put it to the New York Times this week , it’s “psychologically wanted for achievement.”

What’s the massive image? As 2026 will get underway, Trump is appearing as if he’s more and more unchecked. Venezuela is likely one of the clearest examples to date — and we should always take him significantly when he suggests Greenland may very well be subsequent.

And with that, it’s time to sign off…

Congratulations on making it to Friday night! Earlier than all of us sign off for the weekend, right here’s my colleague Pratik Pawar on one in all my favourite tales of the previous 12 months: the success of congestion pricing in New York City . It’s a comparatively small intervention — a $9 toll for drivers throughout peak hours — that, one 12 months on, has helped cut back commute occasions, improved street security, and benefited public transit. I believe that’s price celebrating.