Washington President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States needs to take ownership of Greenland as a matter of national security to prevent Russia or China from occupying the Arctic island. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump insisted that current agreements allowing a U.S. military presence are insufficient and that full ownership is necessary to deter rival powers.
“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 neighbor,” Trump said.
Trump acknowledged that he would prefer to negotiate a deal but suggested the United States could pursue tougher measures if necessary. In comments captured by PBS, he said he would rather make a deal “the easy way” but was prepared to do it “the hard way” if needed.
The president and senior White House officials have discussed multiple options to bring Greenland under U.S. control, including potential use of the military and financial incentives aimed at encouraging the island’s 57,000 residents to secede from the Kingdom of Denmark and align with the United States.
European leaders pushed back strongly against Trump’s remarks. NATO allies including France, Germany and Denmark issued a joint statement emphasizing that only Greenland and Denmark can determine the territory’s future.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also dismissed any prospect of U.S. military intervention, saying such action would jeopardize the alliance and urging a stronger NATO presence in the Arctic instead.
Greenland’s leaders have repeatedly stressed that the island is not for sale and warned that threats to its sovereignty could strain relations with the United States and destabilize long-standing strategic partnerships.
Trump’s renewed focus on Greenland comes amid broader concerns about great-power competition in the Arctic and follows his administration’s recent military actions in Venezuela, which have heightened international unease about U.S. foreign policy priorities.
No comments:
Post a Comment