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Former President Donald Trump has stated that the United States needs to “own” Greenland to preempt potential Russian or Chinese acquisition.
“Countries have to have ownership and you defend ownership, you don’t defend leases and we’ll have to defend Greenland,” Trump told reporters on Friday, underscoring his rationale.
He suggested achieving this “the easy way” or “the hard way,” following recent White House discussions about potentially purchasing the semi-autonomous territory from Denmark, a NATO ally, while not dismissing the possibility of annexation by force.
Both Denmark and Greenland have firmly rejected the notion of selling the territory. Danish officials have warned that military action would jeopardize the transatlantic defense alliance.
Despite its low population density, Greenland’s strategic location between North America and the Arctic is valuable for early warning systems against missile attacks and for monitoring regional maritime activity.
The former US president has repeatedly asserted Greenland’s importance to US national security, alleging, without providing evidence, that it is “covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place.”
The US currently maintains a permanent military presence of over 100 personnel at the Pituffik base in northwestern Greenland, an installation operated by the US since World War II.
Existing agreements with Denmark grant the US the authority to deploy as many troops as it deems necessary to Greenland.
However, speaking to reporters in Washington, Trump dismissed a lease agreement as insufficient.
“Countries can’t make nine-year deals or even 100-year deals,” he stated, emphasizing the necessity of ownership.
“I love the people of China. I love the people of Russia,” Trump said. “But I don’t want them as a neighbour in Greenland, not going to happen.”
“And by the way Nato’s got to understand that,” the US president added.
Denmark’s NATO allies, including major European nations and Canada, have expressed their support, affirming that “only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations.”
Highlighting their shared commitment to Arctic security with the US, they asserted that this must be achieved collaboratively by allies, including the US.
They also emphasized the importance of “upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders.”
Concerns about the territory’s future arose after Trump’s use of military force against Venezuela on Saturday to seize its president, Nicolás Maduro.
Trump previously proposed purchasing Greenland in 2019 during his first presidential term, but the offer was rejected.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet with Danish officials next week for discussions.
In recent years, there has been increasing interest in Greenland’s natural resources, including rare earth minerals, uranium, and iron, which are becoming more accessible due to climate change-induced ice melt. Scientists also suggest the potential for significant oil and gas reserves.
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