Washington: SiltaNews – News Desk
The White House asserted on Tuesday that President Donald Trump is looking at multiple avenues to gain control of Greenland, including the possible use of the US armed forces. The declaration has stirred sharp diplomatic objections from allies and renewed debate over Arctic security.
According to the White House, Trump regards Greenland as a “national security priority” for the US and “vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region.” Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration is considering several approaches to achieve this goal, and that using military assets “is always an option.”
The remarks mark a significant escalation of rhetoric around the US interest in Greenland, an expansive, mineral-rich island that is self-governing but officially part of fellow NATO member Denmark. European leaders responded swiftly. In a rare European rebuke to the White House, leaders of Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain jointly insisted that Greenland’s future should be decided solely by Denmark and the island’s residents.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that any forcible attempt by the US to seize Greenland could undermine the NATO military alliance. Denmark and Greenland requested an urgent meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio following Washington’s remarks, according to Greenland’s foreign minister Vivian Motzfeldt.