Ep. 175: How should we model Greenland?
From Australia in the World by Darren Lim
January 18, 2026 · 36 min · Episode 175
About this episode
Darren Lim discusses the complexities of modeling international relations in light of Trump's renewed push to acquire Greenland and its implications for NATO and Europe.
Less than a year into Trump’s second term, his renewed push to acquire Greenland has escalated into a full-blown alliance crisis—complete with tariff threats against Denmark and other European backers, and a scramble for NATO unity. In (already) his second “emergency” episode of 2026 recorded solo on 18 January, Darren starts off by observing this episode doesn’t neatly fit neat orthodox models of international relations—it looks less like balancing or normal alliance bargaining and more like coercion and hierarchy politics, forcing Europe to weigh retaliation, endurance, and face-saving off-ramps. Given that, what kind of model(s) are useful? Australia in the World is written, hosted, and produced by Darren Lim, with research and editing this episode by Hannah Nelson and theme music composed by Rory Stenning. Relevant links Stacie Goddard and Abraham Newman. 2025. “Further Back to the Future: Neo-Royalism, the Trump Administration, and the Emerging International System.” International Organization 79(S1): S12–25. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020818325101057 Joshua Keating, “Confused by the Trump administration? Think of it as a royal family.”, Vox, 6 Dec 2025…
People in this episode
Host: Darren Lim
Topics covered
- Greenland acquisition
- international relations
- alliance crisis
- coercion politics
Keywords
- Trump administration
- tariff threats
- NATO unity
- European backers
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Australia in the World, Further Back to the Future
Places: Greenland, Denmark, Europe
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