In his second term, US President Donald Trump has given immense focus to the Arctic region. He was earlier quoted saying, "We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defense."
Greenland is the world's largest island which is crucial for the US not only in terms of its rich mineral resources but also because of its strategic location. According to a Business Today report, "Two treaties, signed in 1951 and 2023, grant the US military extensive access to Greenland. However, President Trump argues that further measures are necessary for American security interests."
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Marco Rubio's meeting
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told US lawmakers that the goal is to "buy" Greenland and not take it by force. According to CBS News, the White House has, however, not kept the military option "off the table". In this backdrop, Rubio has demanded an urgent meeting with the Foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland next week.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "All options are always on the table for President Trump ... the president's first option always has been diplomacy."
Taking about military action, Rubio said, "As a diplomat, which is what I am now, and what we work on, we always prefer to settle it in different ways – that included in Venezuela," indicating a preference for negotiation over force.
Denmark's reaction
Danish MP Lars Christian Brask told CBS News, "Greenland is not for sale. I’m guessing it will be a matter of putting facts right, and stop the misinformation."
Denmark Prime Minister and Greenland leaders have time and again asserted that the island belongs to them and the US cannot "take over".
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Danish Foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on social media, "We would like to add some nuance to the conversation," adding, "The shouting match must be replaced by a more sensible dialogue. Now."
Greenlandic parliamentarian Aaja Chemnitz stated, "Greenland has never been for sale and never will be for sale," describing US officials not ruling out military intervention as "completely appalling."
"If you want to collaborate with us and with the Greenlanders, you need to respect us first and foremost," Chemnitz told CBS News.
Saying that the US could explore the minerals Greenland has to offer as per environmental rules, Brask said, "There won't be any hold back on that."
In case of the US' defense interests in the island, Brask said, "You put up warning systems, missile systems, soldiers, etc., just by asking, you can. It's not you running the country, but you have the options, the possibility of having troops, material … equipment in Greenland, you just have to ask."
