By Sanxuan

As the situation on Greenland continues to escalate, the United States has once again set its sights on another piece of land in Europe.

This week, Billy Long, former IRS commissioner, was chatting with members of Congress and stated that the United States "52nd state" already has a backup option, which is Iceland, and he would become the "governor." Previously, Billy Long was nominated by Trump for the position of U.S. ambassador to Iceland.

The candidate for governor of the "52nd state" of the United States, Billy Long

Like Greenland, Iceland is also located in the Arctic region. It remains unclear whether Billy Long's remarks were orchestrated by Trump, but after causing controversy, he quickly came forward to apologize.

He said that because he saw an old friend he hadn't seen in years, he got excited and made a joke. Someone joked that Jeff Landry would be the "governor of the State of Greenland," and he then took the opportunity to say that he would also become the "governor of the State of Iceland." If he had offended the people of Iceland, he felt very sorry.

The people of Iceland were indeed very angry, and they launched a petition to reject Billy Long as the ambassador. Once the link was published, it quickly gained resonance, with thousands of people signing it, urging the United States to change the ambassador to Iceland.

Not only at the civilian level, but the Icelandic Foreign Ministry also took measures, requesting the United States to issue an official statement to clarify the erroneous remarks, to avoid further diplomatic disputes.

Someone made a banner so quickly

It's not that Iceland overreacted, but rather that the United States has too much ambition. From the "51st state" Canada to Greenland, Trump seems to be determined to take over the territories of Western allies. Even though Long's words were just a joke, Iceland wants to put an end to this early on, otherwise the joke could turn into reality.

At the same time, Europe is sending troops to Greenland in a high-profile manner, trying to deter the United States. As of Thursday local time, the size of the multinational force has exceeded 30 people, which is quite eye-opening.

Among them, France, one of the few major military powers in Europe, sent the most soldiers, a total of 15 people. Germany also did not fall behind, sending 13 warriors, just two less than France.

Evidently, France and Germany have taken the lion's share, while other countries are just there for show. Finland and Norway, both Arctic regions, each sent two people, while the UK and the Netherlands each sent one person.

Military exercises are ongoing in Greenland

Don't be deceived by the small number, the European attitude is really big. French President Macron said that this is only the first batch, and more military forces will arrive in the coming days.

The Danish Ministry of Defense also said that the final size of the multinational force has not been determined, but one thing is certain, there is no maximum, only more, the key is to show the world the determination of Europe to defend Greenland.

In response to Europe's warning, White House spokesperson Levitt was completely indifferent, simply saying that the United States had understood Europe's views, but this does not affect President Trump's decision.

It is reported that Secretary of State Rubio is already assessing the value of Greenland to advance Trump's "island purchase" plan. The preliminary conclusion is that at least 70 billion dollars is needed to buy Greenland, which is more than half of the Pentagon's new fiscal year budget.

Aspirations go beyond Greenland

Now everyone's stance is clear, Trump is really planning to buy an island. If Denmark and Greenland agree, the US might be willing to pay 70 billion dollars to buy it. But if they continue to oppose the US, not only will they not get money, but they may also face losses from American invasion, which would result in a loss of both money and people.

As is well known, when a big country and a small country make a deal, the first offer is often the best, and the later ones are less valuable.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7595855336146305551/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.