Washington: US President Donald Trump believes that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, the White House said, a<\/b>
\nWashington: US President Donald Trump believes that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, the White House said, a stance that has triggered sharp pushback from Democrats and bipartisan concern on Capitol Hill over the risks such rhetoric poses to NATO and global stability.
\u201cPresident Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it\u2019s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region,\u201d White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
\u201cThe President and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the US Military is always an option at the Commander in Chief\u2019s disposal,\u201d she said.
The comments intensified criticism from lawmakers who warned that even discussing military action against Greenland \u2014 a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark \u2014 could undermine one of America\u2019s closest alliances.
In a joint statement, Representatives Blake Moore of Utah and Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Friends of Denmark Caucus, said \u201csabre-rattling about annexing Greenland is needlessly dangerous.\u201d
\u201cThe Kingdom of Denmark is a NATO ally and one of America\u2019s closest partners,\u201d they said. \u201cAn attack on Greenland \u2013 a crucial part of that alliance \u2013 would tragically be an attack on NATO.\u201d
The lawmakers stressed that Denmark has long cooperated closely with Washington on Arctic security. \u201cThey have moved in lockstep with the United States in Greenland for decades, accepting every request to increase our military presence on the island, and are spending 3.3% of GDP on defense to help us deter Russia and China in the region,\u201d the statement said.
They rejected the argument that the United States needs to annex Greenland to advance its security interests. \u201cIf the message is that \u2018we need Greenland,\u2019 the truth is that we already have access to everything we could need from Greenland,\u201d Moore and Hoyer said, noting that Denmark has already approved expanded US deployments and missile defence infrastructure if requested.
\u201cThe last thing America needs is a civil war among NATO that endangers our security and our way of life,\u201d the lawmakers said. Threats of annexation risk eroding trust among allies while emboldening authoritarian rivals, they warned.
Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona sought to translate those concerns into legislation, introducing an amendment to the Senate Defense Appropriations bill that would prohibit the use of funds for military force, hostilities or preparations for war against Greenland. The amendment would ensure that no defence funding could be obligated or expended for such actions.
\u201cFamilies are getting crushed by rising grocery and housing costs, inflation is up, and Trump\u2019s name is all over the Epstein files,\u201d Gallego said. \u201cInstead of doing anything to fix those problems, Trump is trying to distract people by threatening to start wars and invade countries \u2013 first in Venezuela, and now against our NATO ally Denmark.\u201d
\u201cWhat\u2019s happening in Venezuela shows us that we can\u2019t just ignore Trump\u2019s reckless threats,\u201d he added. \u201cHis dangerous behavior puts American lives and our global credibility at risk.\u201d
Trump has repeatedly doubled down on his claim that Greenland should become part of the United States. After announcing that Washington had taken control over Venezuela, he said he \u201cabsolutely\u201d wanted to take over Greenland and indicated he would revisit the issue in the coming weeks.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer linked the Greenland rhetoric to broader concerns about the administration\u2019s foreign policy direction. Speaking after a classified Gang of Eight briefing, Schumer said the administration provided \u201cno real answers\u201d about its plans in Venezuela or elsewhere.
\u201cAre we going to invade a NATO ally like Greenland? Where does this belligerence stop?\u201d Schumer asked, saying he was \u201cvery troubled\u201d by the responses he received. He warned that such language echoed \u201cthe 1930s\u201d and risked dragging the United States into open-ended conflicts.
Senator Mark Warner also cautioned that any serious military threat against Denmark would devastate the transatlantic alliance. \u201cNothing would lead to the absolute destruction of NATO more than American aggressive action against a long term ally like Denmark,\u201d Warner said.
Greenland hosts long-standing US military installations critical to Arctic surveillance and missile defence, and its strategic importance has grown as melting ice opens new shipping routes and intensifies competition with Russia and China.
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