Is Trump trying to dismantle NATO with Russian help by seizing Greenland? Swedish economist Anders Åslund gives four bizarre conspiracy theories

Swedish economist Anders Åslund has outlined four 'bizarre' conspiracy theories circulating about US President Donald Trump, Russia and NATO, including claims that Trump is trying to weaken the alliance with Moscow’s help by seizing Greenland. Åslund also stated that since the United States already has full access to Greenland under its 1951 treaty with Denmark, there is no national security justification or issue related to mineral rights.

WHY TRUMP WANTS GREENLAND

Trump and his allies have repeatedly stated that the United States wants to acquire Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Trump favors buying it, while top aide Stephen Miller has even suggested the possibility of taking it by force, New York Times reported. Trump has cited national and international security, access to minerals and even 'psychological' reasons for the move. According to the New York Times, despite strong opposition from Greenland and Denmark, Trump has intensified pressure, threatening new tariffs on European countries - starting with 10% in February, then 25% in June - that resist a deal.

ANDERS ÅSLUND’S CONSPIRACY THEORIES

Åslund’s conspiracy theories lack solid proof, but they also cannot be dismissed outright.

• HIDE THE EPSTEIN FILES: The first theory claims Trump wants to 'hide the Epstein files' by creating political chaos and shifting public attention away from sensitive domestic issues.
• HELP RUSSIA TO BREAK UP NATO: A second theory suggests he is secretly helping Russia weaken and ultimately break up NATO, deliberately undermining the alliance from within.
• IMPERIALIST FOLLY - GATHER MORE US LAND: The third frames Trump’s ambitions as an act of imperialist folly, arguing he seeks to gather more US-controlled land - such as Greenland - to satisfy expansionist instincts rather than any strategic necessity.
• MENTAL ILLNESS: The fourth, most extreme theory attributes Trump’s actions to mental illness, portraying his statements and threats as evidence of erratic or irrational behavior.

Åslund presents these ideas not as facts but as examples of how speculation and conspiracy thinking can flourish around polarising political figures, warning that such narratives often distract from serious, evidence-based analysis of global affairs.

GREENLAND AND SECURITY: IS US INTEREST STRATEGICALLY JUSTIFIED?

The United States has stationed troops in Greenland since World War II and operates the Pituffik Space Base for missile defense. A 1951 treaty with Denmark gives Washington the right to reopen former bases and establish new ones, allowing it to build, operate and maintain military facilities, station personnel, and control key air and sea movements across Greenland.

According to the New York Times, national security experts have said the United States can meet its security objectives under the existing treaty, without the need to buy or take control of Greenland.

"The US has such a free hand in Greenland that it can pretty much do what it wants," said Mikkel Runge Olesen, as quoted by the New York Times, a researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies in Copenhagen.