The end of the US as we know it happens. Sure the US could win a war ("win"), but the US without US Europe trade, EU turning to China as its main trading partner including in military equipment, no more bases in EU, less access to other parts of the world, and so on. That would be a US that would wither and die.

That's not how this works though. This is a tripwire. If 13 German soldiers died at the hand of the US it would cause a bit more of a reaction in Germany than sending money to Ukraine.

>It would obviously be better if French, British, or German troops were in Ukraine

How is that obvious? Unless you have invested in a post-WW3 world.

If the US actually did invade Greenland it would mean the end of US Europe trade and cooperation as we know it and the end of NATO (and likely UN). China would suddenly be the main trading partner, also in military equipment. It would be the end of US as it is today.

>My immediate instinct is that the average European has far more to do with an average Ukrainian than the average Greenlander.

There are fewer differences between a Dane and a Greenland Inuit than between a MAGA and a Democrat. Maybe you should visit?

>These kinds of joint exercises are pretty common and largely symbolic.

Danish Air force Hercules are doing their best impression of the Berlin air bridge to transport as much as they can to Greenland, airlines have transported personnel, several countries are sending navel ships, planes have already been doing exercises. While this isn't the first exercise there this is absolutely not common and just symbolic. Sure it isn't a force that can fight the US, but it is historic and unprecedented in Danish/Greenlandish history and it is a tripwire.

To put that into perspective the US has around 150-200 staff in Greenland.

>The same Ronald Lauder then started buying businesses in Greenland.

Yes, and so have Bill Gates, Sam Altman, Jeff Bezos, Bloomberg, etc. etc.

>US companies can mine there if they're able

You can't just go mine there. For one no-one can own land. A permit is also not something you just get and the laws protecting the environment are much harsher than US laws.

No.

But a president voted into office twice is the voice of everyone who voted for him.

Realistic suicide plan, maybe. No US state gets as much federal funding per capita as Greenland do from Denmark (and that funding doesn't include police, jails, courts, hospitals, etc. as that's paid by Denmark directly). Voting to become part of the US is like voting that you want less freedom, less money, less healthcare, and so on. It won't ever happen. Greenland isn't full of people that believe the US fairytale of "The Worlds Best XYZ".