there is no doubt that china and russia have notice this act of total weakness (13. 104)

Shifting tactics, Trump has now cited the UK’s decision last year to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands (see previously, we wonder who is putting these thoughts in his head) to Mauritius as justification for the US annexation of Greenland. Characterising the decision that the administration supported at the time of ceding control as an act of “great stupidity” because of the archipelago’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean, the terms of repatriation—generous as Britain resettled the native population in 1971 to make way for the military installation—include a ninety-nine year extension of the lease of the joint US-UK base on Diego Gargia (most of the map is water with only the outline of the tropical atoll enclosing the lagoon) so the two countries will retain ownership and access, just like in the case of the arctic island where no invasion or seizure is necessary—except after the tantrums and histrionics, American might get the boot altogether.