This harsh statement comes after recent signals from the White House that the administration is considering buying the semi-autonomous territory from Denmark, but does not rule out the option of forced annexation, writes the BBC.
Both Denmark and Greenland flatly rejected Trump’s offer, saying the territory was not for sale. Copenhagen warned that any military action against a NATO member would mean the end of the transatlantic defense alliance.
“States have to have ownership and you defend ownership, you don’t defend leases, and we’re going to have to defend Greenland,” Trump told reporters in Washington. The US president has repeatedly pointed out that Greenland is crucial to US national security, claiming without evidence that it was “covered everywhere with Russian and Chinese ships”.
Although the US already has more than 100 soldiers permanently stationed at the Pituffik base in northwest Greenland, which it has operated since World War II, Trump believes that existing lease agreements are not enough.
“States cannot enter into nine-year contracts or even hundred-year contracts,” he said, insisting on full ownership. “I love the people of China. I love the people of Russia,” Trump added. “But I don’t want them as neighbors in Greenland, that’s not going to happen. And by the way, NATO has to understand that.”
NATO stood by Denmark
Major NATO allies, including major European countries and Canada, offered their support to Denmark this week. In joint statements, they confirmed that “only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations”.
They emphasized that the security of the Arctic is a common interest that must be achieved “collectively” within the alliance and called for “respect for the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders.”
Strategic importance and background of the conflict
Concerns about the future of Greenland have increased further following the recent US military action in Venezuela. Trump had previously, during his first term in office in 2019, offered to buy the island, but even then he was told that it was not for sale. It was announced that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will hold talks with Danish officials next week.
Apart from its strategic location between North America and the Arctic, which is crucial for early warning systems, Greenland has also become interesting because of its natural resources.
Due to climate change and melting ice, rich deposits of rare earth metals, uranium and iron are increasingly available, and scientists believe that there are also significant reserves of oil and gas. Meanwhile, Trump’s threats have caused consternation among locals, with one Greenlander saying it “sick to his stomach.”
(Vijesti.ba)
