Donald Trump has been vocal about his desire for Greenland to join the United States, causing concern with his recent statements on how this could be achieved.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has emphasized that his priorities are centered around America and its national interests.
In light of this, he has repeatedly stated that Greenland, an autonomous territory under the Kingdom of Denmark, should be annexed by the US.
However, the governments of Greenland and Denmark have clearly expressed their disinterest in such a scenario…
Despite their resistance, Trump remains optimistic about the possibility and has outlined the significance of the region to the US.
In a statement made in late March, Trump said: “We need Greenland.
“Very importantly, for international security, we have to have Greenland. It’s not a question of, ‘Do you think we can do without it?’ We can’t.
“If you look at Greenland right now, if you look at the waterways, you have Chinese and Russian ships all over the place, and we’re not going to be able to do that. We’re not relying on Denmark or anybody else to take care of that situation.”
In addition to Greenland, Trump and his team have also commented on the strategic importance of acquiring Canada, though Canada has also shown no interest in joining the US.
During a weekend interview with NBC, Trump clarified that he doesn’t foresee military force being necessary to make Canada the ‘51st state.’ However, regarding Greenland, he stated, “I don’t rule it out.”
Trump added: “I don’t say I’m going to do it, but I don’t rule out anything.
“We need Greenland very badly. Greenland is a very small amount of people, which we’ll take care of, and we’ll cherish them, and all of that. But we need that for international security.”
These remarks have raised concerns about the potential for global conflict and the strain it could place on NATO, as both Denmark and the US are member nations.
If Trump were to initiate an attack, NATO’s Article 5 protocol could be triggered, treating an armed attack against one member as an attack against all.
In response to America’s continued interest in Greenland, the territory has asserted its autonomy, vowing to determine its own path.
In March, Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen stated: “President Trump says that the United States ‘will get Greenland.’ Let me be clear: The United States will not get it. We do not belong to anyone else. We decide our own future.”