President Donald Trump said today that NATO should help the US acquire Greenland, and anything less than American control is unacceptable. The Statement came hours before Vice President JD Vance was to host Danish and Greenlandic officials for talks.
In a social media post, Trump reiterated his argument that the US needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security. He added that NATO should be leading the way for the US to get it.
Vance is to meet Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart, Vivian Motzfeldt, in Washington today to discuss the Greenland issue.
The remarks, which came after a high-stakes meeting between US, Danish and Greenlandic officials, indicate that fundamental differences remain between how Washington, Copenhagen and Nuuk see the political future of the island.
“Greenland is very important for the national security, including of Denmark,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “And the problem is there’s not a thing that Denmark can do about it if Russia or China wants to occupy Greenland, but there’s everything we can do. You found that out last week with Venezuela,” he added.
The Danish foreign minster said earlier on Wednesday that Trump remains intent on “conquering” Greenland as the talks with US officials failed to solve a “fundamental disagreement” that has led to unprecedented tensions between Washington and a Nato ally.