On Thursday, President Trump voiced confidence that the United States would annex Greenland, even suggesting that the head of NATO could play a crucial role in making the acquisition a reality.
“I think it will happen,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
“And I’m just thinking, I didn’t give it much thought before but I’m sitting with a man that could be very instrumental. You know, Mark, we need that for international security,” Trump said, motioning toward Rutte.
Rutte acknowledged that Greenland and the Arctic Circle hold strategic importance for global security, pointing to the increasing presence of China and Russia in the region.
However, he made it clear that any discussion regarding Trump’s ambitions to acquire Greenland fell outside his jurisdiction.
Donald Trump
“I don’t want to drag NATO in that,” Rutte stated.
Trump’s remarks came just two days after Greenland’s center-right Demokraatit party secured victory in the island’s parliamentary elections. The party supports a gradual approach to gaining independence from Denmark.
For months, Trump has advocated for the idea of the United States acquiring Greenland, a territory belonging to Denmark, which is also a NATO member. The U.S. currently maintains a military base on the island.
Before assuming office, Trump refused to rule out the possibility of military action to annex the Arctic island. In January, his son, Donald Trump Jr., along with a group of allies, visited Greenland.
