Trump’s Greenland takeover: Red herring or diversion from Gaza

More than 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire of early October. That is roughly one girl or boy killed every day

Since being elected for his second term as US President, Donald Trump has been upending the so-called ‘rules-based’ international order promoted by the West. In Asia the US President has been threatening to impose massive tariffs on India for purchasing fuel from Russia as well as for its defence purchases from that country. Our own country remains under threat for continuing trade relations with Iran. 

Trump has also threatened to take specific military action and or occupy particular countries the world over, ranging from Mexico, to Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Nigeria, Somalia, Venezuela, Panama and other Latin American countries for a variety of reasons. In West Asia, he helped Israel’s campaign of genocide against the Palestinian people.

On January 6, 72,437 Palestinians have been reported killed by Israel in Palestine’s Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry (GHM) and Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This number includes 248 journalists and media workers, 120 academics, and over 224 humanitarian aid workers, a number that includes 179 employees of UNRWA (UN workers).

Having brokered a so-called halt to ceasefire in Palestine’s Gaza, Trump continues to turn a blind-eye to the daily killing of Palestinians by Israeli settlors and the military. He has also countenanced the continued Israeli attempts to starve the Palestinian population by delaying trucks carrying humanitarian relief into the Gaza. More than 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire of early October. That is roughly one girl or boy killed every day. 

While demanding Palestinian resistance groups disarm, the US President continues to permit the Israeli military and armed settlers continue bearing arms. Resultantly Palestinians continue being attacked by both the Israeli military and armed settlers. UNICEF in its report of January 13, 2026 points out “more than 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire of early October. ... That is roughly one girl or boy killed every day. The report adds “…whilst the bombings and shooting have slowed during the ceasefire, they have not stopped.

Meanwhile the US leader has been upending all norms of the ‘rules-based international order’ having unilaterally attacked several countries militarily. Trump’s NATO allies and the ‘economic West’ (Julian Assange describes the ‘economic West’ as the United States and its corporate allies as a collusive, surveillance-driven, and opaque system that uses its financial power to maintain global dominance). The group including Australia, Canada and Japan have remained silent on the atrocities. 

On occasion they even attempted to justify his (Trump’s) war-mongering acts like the bombing of Iran, bombing raids in Iraq and Nigeria, the abduction of the Venezuelan President now being held in the US and the ongoing genocide in Palestine.  

While recognising the injustices the US and its President were committing, the ‘economic West’ remained silent believing their own security depended on a security shield offered by the US. This confidence was shattered when Trump will-nilly began imposing massive tariffs on goods exported by these countries to the US as well as the US demand that Greenland, an autonomous region of Denmark (A NATO member state) be ceded to the US either through discussion or face an armed take over. 

To the countries of West Asia (referred to as the Middle East by the Western media) the events unfolding in Western Europe comes as a timely wakeup call. Many of these countries have been blindly attempting to appease the US on its support for Israel, rather than challenge US support for Israeli expansionism and genocide in Palestine.

Many Arab leaders in the Middle East depend on US military and financial support to remain in power. Even at this late hour, they need to learn from events taking place in West Europe – the US looks after only its own interests. Everything else is secondary.  

As the West European countries came together and forced the US to back down on its claims on Greenland, Arab leaders too need to put aside petty differences.  They need to remember Trump’s words at a press briefing on February 5, 2025   the US will ‘take over’ and ‘own’ Gaza after resettling Palestinians elsewhere.