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Dear Readers,

Man…this guy!

In one way, I am grateful to him because he seems determined to give me almost more material to work with than I can handle.

So, what’s been on the agenda of our “might makes right” US president this week? Look at the following headline.
Source – Financial Times

Announcing during the Martin Luther King public holiday (January 19th) that he was going to economically punish European countries that stuck up for Greenland, the market reaction was sharp and negative: approximately six hundred points were wiped of the Dow in the first hour of trading.

And with good reason. Trump isn’t known for changing his mind on something he feels is important to him and his country. And yet.
Source – Financial Times

Right…well it only took a day for him to change his mind.

I guess ‘no going back” doesn’t mean what it once did? I mean, what the hell is going on here? What are you and I suppose to be thinking or doing about it all?

To my mind, these are the initial small steps towards the journey to a true multi-polar world. Could Canada and the EU become allied with China? Could the United States be allied with… nobody?

Frankly, how could you claim that it isn’t all legitimately on the table at this stage. I guess now is good a time as any to look deeper into this. You may believe it has nothing to do with you. But may I suggest checking your investment portfolio or retirement fund at the close of trading the day this news dropped?

You see, it does affect you. So, you must be across this, one way or another. Because I fear this isn’t going to stop here. And you’ve just seen the market reaction. It does not like being surprised like this.

Let’s look now as I do my best to untangle this web of intrigue.
Give this man his Nobel peace prize – or else.

Firstly, can we spare a thought for the native residents of Greenland, the Innuit? It’s true that Trump’s position on them is he is keen to leave them alone and happy to see them paid accordingly for allowing the American presence and control.

The Innuit have been battling for decades with their former colonial ruler, Denmark, and all the luggage that comes with such sordid history.

The Innuit simply want to be left alone and independent from anyone else.

They are not for sale, but they are also prepared to do a deal. Still, the question they are asking themselves is at face value quite valid.

Why is the President demanding ownership and control over Greenland when longstanding agreements (from 1951) already grant the US the freedom to deploy any number of security assets in Greenland?

Fair question. Which is why a partial reason for it comes across as absurd. Trump has claimed that part of the reason for his position on Greenland stemmed from the decision by a Norwegian committee not to award him the Nobel peace prize.

Honestly, I am NOT making this up.

The president recently touched down at Davos for the World Economic Forum. This is where heads of state, finance ministers, central bankers, and business leaders gather to address global economic stability, trade relations, and geopolitical risk.

Before Air Force One touched down Trump trailed the use of tariffs, specifically targeting Europe with additional 10% tariffs plus raising them to 25% should they not agree to hand over Greenland.

Since the news broke yesterday, these threats of tariffs are now off the table. So, what ‘is’ on the table instead?

From the above article.

Donald Trump said he was dropping his threat to hit European countries with new tariffs after striking “the framework of a future deal” over Greenland in talks with Nato’s secretary-general Mark Rutte.

The US president said he had held a “very productive” meeting with Rutte and would hold future talks and find a solution that “if consummated” would be a “great one” for the US and Nato members. “Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st.”

He added that the framework agreement could involve Greenland’s natural resources. The agreement would last “forever,” Trump said. Ok, I have something to say here.

On the surface, it looks like we dodged a bullet and sanity has returned. However, can anyone explain to me why the NATO General-Secretary was the one building this framework with the U.S President? And not—you know—the leaders of Greenland and Denmark?

Because this nuance is very important and drives directly to the heart of the matter.
If you aren’t at the table, you are on the menu.

If you have trade disagreements between allies or other nation states, then meeting at Davos in Switzerland is a good neutral ground to discuss access, rules, or competitive advantages and disadvantages.

Tying tariffs to territorial ambition and national security shifts the dynamic entirely. This is why Greenland dominates this summit. It changes the nature of the relationship and raises the stakes for every discussion taking place in Davos.

The implications extend well beyond Europe and the US. Transatlantic trade underpins confidence across global supply chains. Disruption there feeds into investment decisions, currency stability, and diplomatic alignment worldwide.

If trade policy becomes an accepted tool for advancing strategic or territorial aims, other regions will take note. That reshapes expectations about how economic relationships function.

So, you see dear reader, this in fact has nothing to do with trade wars, tariffs, and the like. The US wants to own Greenland outright without the need to share it with Denmark or NATO. There are a few strategic reasons why. One is the untapped mineral resources the country possesses. The other one is its location.

From Greenland, the US can monitor all sea and sub-sea movements of the Russian Northern fleet trying to enter the Atlantic Ocean. It can also form the outer part of the ‘Golden Dome’ ballistic missile defence shield for America. Right under where most Russia nuclear ICBM missiles would fly to hit the U.S.

But wait Darren, didn’t you say the U.S has a 1951 accord allowing them unfettered access to Greenland should they deem it fit? Yes, they do.

So, why not continue to share it with NATO? Simple really. The EU now appears to replace America with China as its preferred strategic economic partner.
All roads lead…to the Silk Road.

It does seem the more Trump pushes his agenda onto the world, the reactions he generates run contrary to what he wants to happen.

Because there are other world leaders at Davos who have a stage to speak their mind, and some have not held back. Here is what the Canadian Prime Minister had to say.
Source – Financial Times

The rules-based international order is undergoing a “rupture, not a transition,” Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Tuesday, as he urged the world’s “middle powers” to unite in response.

“Canadians know that our old, comfortable assumption that our geography and alliance memberships automatically conferred prosperity and security is no longer valid…”

Don’t think that the Canadian leaders’ words are just for show. Canada is the US second biggest trading partner in the world. It is an integral part of the NATO alliance.

Nor should you ignore Carney’s actions either.
Source – Financial Times

Canada and China agreed to lift trade barriers on electric vehicles and canola after Prime Minister Mark Carney met Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday as the two countries try to mend ties.

The relationship between the two countries still has a way to go to get back to where it used to be, but this is an important first step. Carney reversed his 2025 statement of “Our biggest security threat is China” to “Our partnership with China sets us up well for the New World Order”.

New world order, hey?

President Macron of France now says, “China is welcome. What we need is more Chinese Direct investment in Europe.” Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Starmer heads to Beijing for a state visit next week. Need I remind you that France and the UK are key NATO members too.

Is this why Greenland is needed by Trump? As a defence against both Russia and a Europe moving away for the US and with more alignment with China?

The world that you and I grew up with is now no more. Trump is not the cause but a symptom. NATO is now no longer required. It’s reason to exist has evaporated. The Russians must be shrugging their shoulders in amazement. We can no longer go back.

Whether you like it or not, whether you are aware of it or not, I’d like to welcome you to the new world.

It is not enough to sit on the fence now and hope that things return to normal.

Your opportunity to acknowledge that this change is permanent, that your assumptions about the future must be recalibrated, and accept that, after everything, it all comes down to land—is today.

And so today, I ask you to start that journey by becoming our newest Boom Bust Bulletin (BBB) member.

Use our knowledge of the land markets to view the world for what it truly is, like I have done here, and get you and your family on the right side of history as it’s being written.

Through weekly videos and monthly editions, the BBB will provide the grounding you need to discover the hidden forces that drive the economy and provide the knowledge you need to understand the world is precisely what it must be today.

So, you can position yourself to both profit AND protect.

Trump’s so-called deal is probably anything but. I suspect he will soon realise as much, and thus we are not close to a true resolution. And all the volatility that will bring.

2026 is the year to be prepared. Surely this self-evident truth is clear given what I’ve written to you about these last few weeks. So, get started.

Sign up now.
Best wishes,
Darren J Wilson
and your Property Sharemarket Economics Team

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