Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Greenland is “extremely important to American and international security,” arguing that Denmark would not be able to prevent a possible takeover of the island by Russia or China on its own. He repeated that he had “multiple options” available and said that anything but American control over Greenland was “unacceptable” for him, according to the agencies.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen confirmed that there is a “fundamental disagreement” between Denmark and the US over the future of Greenland. In response to the rising tensions, Denmark announced a strengthening of its military presence on the island, while some NATO members, including Sweden and Germany, announced the deployment of additional military personnel.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that the defense of Greenland is a “common responsibility of NATO”, which was supported by the Secretary General of the Alliance, Mark Rutte, warning of the increasing strategic importance of the Arctic due to the increased interest of Russia and China.
Trump has previously criticized NATO, primarily because of defense allocations, and said that the US will remain in the alliance only if the other members fulfill their financial obligations.
Legal experts warn that the possible exit of the US from NATO would be legally and politically complex, but they emphasize that the mere questioning of membership undermines trust and the stability of the alliance.
(Vijesti.ba)
