Donald Trump is exploring “several options” for acquiring Greenland, including “using the military,” his spokesman said on Tuesday, further raising concerns in Europe over the fate of the Arctic island, an autonomous Danish territory.
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The US President “has made clear that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority for the United States and is vital to deterring our adversaries in the Arctic region. The President and his team are discussing multiple options to achieve this important foreign policy goal, and, of course, the use of US military forces is always an option available to the commander in chief,” Caroline Leavitt said in a statement sent to AFP.
The White House's emphatic tone contrasts with the anxious calls for dialogue coming from Europe and Greenland in the face of demands coming from Washington.
Greenland and the Danish government have called for early talks with US diplomatic chief Marco Rubio, hoping to clear up “misunderstandings”.
Nuuk and Copenhagen particularly dispute Donald Trump's repeated argument that he must act against China's omnipresence in Greenland.
“We do not share this idea that Greenland will be covered by Chinese investment,” said Danish diplomacy chief Lars Løkke Rasmussen, also criticizing the American president for “bad reading” when the latter expressed doubts about Denmark’s ability to ensure the island’s security.
“We care about the kingdom,” Mr. Løkke insisted, adding that there was no point in “dramatizing” the situation.
Over the past twelve months, Denmark has invested heavily in Arctic security, committing around 90 billion kroner (€1.2 billion).
“The End of Everything”
On Tuesday evening, French President Emmanuel Macron said he could not imagine the United States “violating Danish sovereignty.”
Denmark, including Greenland, is a NATO member and an American attack on one of the alliance's members would mean “the end of everything,” including the global security order established at the end of World War II, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned.
“This is a conflict not only with the Kingdom of Denmark (…) but with the whole of Europe,” she told DR TV.
Earlier, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK expressed support for Denmark in a joint statement.
“Denmark and Greenland, and they alone, must resolve issues affecting Denmark and Greenland,” European leaders said, emphasizing that the kingdom is “part” of NATO, like the United States, which itself is bound to Copenhagen by a defense agreement.
The Nordic foreign ministers issued a joint statement outlining the same idea of sovereignty.
On several occasions, Greenland, backed by its supervisory powers, has stated that it is not for sale and that it decides its own future.
Donald Trump has long targeted the island of 57,000 people, which he says is within what he considers the natural sphere of influence of the United States.
The president and his circle returned this demand with renewed enthusiasm after the shock military operation carried out by the United States in Venezuela.
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