The U.S. needs to own Greenland to prevent Russia or China from occupying it in the future, President Donald Trump said on Friday.
“We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not. Because if we don’t do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we’re not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour,” Trump told reporters at the White House while meeting with oil company executives.
‘Must Acquire Greenland’
Trump said the U.S. must acquire Greenland, even though it already has a military presence on the island under a 1951 agreement, because such deals are not enough to guarantee Greenland’s defence. The island of 57,000 people is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
“You defend ownership. You don’t defend leases. And we’ll have to defend Greenland. If we don’t do it, China or Russia will,” Trump said.
Trump and White House officials have been discussing various plans to bring Greenland under U.S. control, including potential use of the U.S. military and lump sum payments to Greenlanders as part of a bid to convince them to secede from Denmark and potentially join the U.S.
Europe’s Reaction
Leaders in Copenhagen and throughout Europe have reacted with disdain in recent days to comments by Trump and other White House officials asserting their right to Greenland. The U.S. and Denmark are NATO allies bound by a mutual defence agreement.
On Tuesday, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Britain and Denmark issued a joint statement, saying only Greenland and Denmark can decide matters regarding their relations.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she did not believe the United States would use military force to seize Greenland, warning on Friday that such a move would have grave consequences for NATO.
Meloni has traditionally had strong ties with Trump and was the only European leader to attend his inauguration last year.
Her supporters had hoped she would have privileged access to him and become a bridge between Washington and Europe, but it is far from clear that he has heeded her advice up until now.
Europe is perfectly within its rights to push back against the United States at a time when it is making unacceptable proposals, France’s foreign minister said on Friday.
Jean-Noel Barrot’s comments come amid increasing frustration among some of Washington’s allies over how President Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign and trade policies have upended traditional relationships and alliances.
(with inputs from Reuters)
