Amid increasing global tensions following the US capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, the White House has issued a stark warning towards Greenland – another region that has captured Donald Trump’s attention.
For some time, Trump has emphasized the significance of the United States gaining control of Greenland, a Danish territory. Its strategic location between Europe and North America makes it an essential site for the US ballistic missile defense system.
The region is also rich in mineral deposits, which the US is eager to secure to lessen Washington’s dependence on Chinese exports.
Despite repeated rejections from both Greenland and Denmark regarding any coercive attempts to force the island into compliance with Trump’s ambitions, the White House has reiterated its willingness to use any means necessary to achieve its objectives.
Speaking on Tuesday (January 6), press secretary Karoline Leavitt informed reporters: “President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region.”
She later hinted at the possibility of military involvement to fulfill this goal, stating: “The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. Military is always an option at the Commander in Chief’s disposal.”
Until recently, the idea of the US attempting to claim ownership of a completely autonomous and sovereign territory might have seemed implausible.
However, after Maduro’s capture in Venezuela and Trump’s announcement that the US would temporarily manage the South American nation, alarm has understandably grown among America’s allies that this bold approach could go too far.
Speaking on social media, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen previously called on Trump to abandon his ‘fantasies about annexation’ and condemned the US for its ‘completely and utterly unacceptable’ rhetoric.
“Threats, pressure and talk of annexation have no place between friends,” Nielsen stated.
“That is not how you speak to people who have shown responsibility, stability and loyalty time and again. Enough is enough. No more pressure. No more innuendo. No more fantasies about annexation.”
Likewise, many other European nations have voiced their concerns, particularly because if the US decided to invade Greenland, it could provoke a response from NATO and potentially spark a devastating global conflict, potentially escalating into World War III.