News with global eyes
In this tab, we cover current news of the day, but of global meaning and significance.
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Trump Wants Greenland (2025-04-26)
Trump has once again stated that he wants Greenland. He mentioned this in passing while discussing another matter. Ever since taking office as president, he has repeatedly said that Greenland should become American. The proposed path to this goal has varied. The United States could buy it from Denmark, take it, or gain access to it through an agreement.
Trump has promised to make the United States great again, and with Greenland, the country's land area would increase by 23%. Greenland is larger than Alaska, which the United States purchased from Russia for $7.2 million in 1867. In addition, there is interest in Greenland's mineral resources and the strategic military advantages it could provide.
One might well ask: why should Greenland belong to Denmark, a tiny country located hundreds of miles away? Denmark is no larger than a single American state—that is, one out of fifty. From a purely geographical perspective, such claims might be considered reasonable, although in that case Canada should be considered first.
The argument that the United States needs Greenland for its defense cannot be regarded as particularly convincing. The country is capable of defending itself from its own territory. NATO already has access to Greenland if it wishes to establish facilities there. The idea that Russia—the country at issue here—would attack the United States across the North Pole with missiles is far-fetched and not a primary objective. Russia has always sought a buffer zone against Western Europe, as in the case of Ukraine. Russia wants to control Ukraine and is attempting to do so through the war there. As things stand today, it does not appear likely to succeed. Russia's military capability to wage war against the United States or NATO has been weakened and remains chronically limited. NATO is approximately twenty times stronger than Russia, excluding nuclear weapons.
Economically speaking, Greenland is not a Klondike. What can be extracted there are certain rare earth minerals, which are indeed in high demand today. However, the harsh climate makes all forms of exploitation difficult.
Governments and their capitals have an inherent interest in territory. The desire to rule over land has long been a guiding principle. Ideally, that land should be productive, yielding food and raw materials. Land covered by ice is not particularly attractive in this regard. In the modern globalized world, territory is not as significant as it once was. In the Global Society, knowledge—especially technical knowledge—that creates prosperity is more important. That is what a nation should focus on if it wants to become truly great.
Summit Meeting in Beijing (2026-05-17)
On May 14–15, Donald Trump visited Xi Jinping in China. The visit followed a traditional format, including welcoming ceremonies, meals, visits, and discussions between the leaders. Delegations accompanied them, primarily focused on trade matters. The topics to be discussed had been prepared well in advance.
The outcome of the meeting was an adjustment of trade arrangements. Specifically, China agreed to purchase more American products, including agricultural goods and 200 Boeing aircraft. Political issues were also discussed, including the situation with Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, as well as Taiwan, of course.
That is one way of viewing the meeting, on the surface. China's deeper and less visible objective, however, was to calm tensions and stabilize the global situation. It wanted the American "cowboys" to put away their guns and behave in a more civilized manner. China does not want numerous disputes and conflicts because it has set its sights on becoming the world's leading power—the Middle Kingdom. It does not want disruptions or setbacks on its path toward the desired throne.
In that sense, one can forget about Taiwan. China will never attack it. In the future, some form of reunification will occur anyway, but it will happen spontaneously and without violence. Nationalism and nationalistic thinking are gradually fading away.
On the road toward the Global Society, it is important to act correctly. Otherwise, both time and energy are wasted. China does everything right, perhaps without even realizing it. Its instinctive judgment and pragmatism guide it in the right direction. China seeks cooperation, which is a defining characteristic of the Global Society. Military force is becoming obsolete. China is not an aggressive military power. The Chinese military exists primarily to maintain internal stability. It is intended to be deployed if a region begins to resist central authority.
One week after Trump's visit, Putin was there as well. China has the same agenda with Russia as it does with the United States. As a trading partner, however, Russia is more important. China is heavily dependent on oil and gas.
News accompanied by global commentary will continue to be presented on an ongoing basis.