Bolton recalls that in 2018, the president invited him to the Oval Office and informed him that a prominent billionaire had proposed to the United States to buy the largest island in the world.
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Read also: Donald Trump threatens Europe with “big retaliation”. It's about Greenland
This was the man he was supposed to be Ronald Lauder – heir to the Estee Lauder fortune and Trump's longtime friend from his studies at the Wharton School.
This is how Lauder was supposed to convince Trump to want to occupy Greenland. “luxurious water” in the background
Lauder is a well-known figure among American elites. After working in the family cosmetics company, he held public office in the Ronald Reagan administration, was ambassador to Austria, and later unsuccessfully ran for mayor of New York. After Trump's victory in 2016, he supported him financially and publicly defended him, emphasizing his “exceptional intelligence.”
According to the Guardian, that's exactly what it is Lauder's suggestion initiated work in the White House to increase US influence in Greenlandformally belonging to Denmark. Bolton himself claims that Trump often treats friends' opinions as indisputable facts, which in this case had significant political consequences.
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As a British newspaper writes, Lauder has never hidden the fact that Greenland has enormous economic potential. In public statements, he pointed to deposits of rare earth metals, which are crucial for the development of artificial intelligence, modern weapons and technology. He also emphasized the importance of new sea routes that appear as the ice melts.
As revealed by the Guardian, Lauder's interests do not end with declarations. His investment group has shares in companies operating in Greenland, including: with the export of “luxurious” spring water and plans to build a hydroelectric power plant and an aluminum smelter.
Not only Greenland. Lauder influenced Trump on Ukraine
A similar pattern can be seen in the case of Ukraine. According to the British daily Lauder was mentioned as a key member of the consortium applying for lithium mining licenses.
A few weeks after the payments to Trump's political support, the USA and Ukraine signed an agreement on joint exploitation of mineralsand the consortium associated with Lauder was to win the first tender.
