President Trump suggested the US already has a significant military presence on Greenland and hinted at a potential increase.
President Trump reportedly discussed with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte the possibility of the US-led alliance assisting Washington in “securing” Greenland, following discussions held in the Oval Office on Thursday.
Having initially proposed purchasing Greenland in 2019, during his first term, Trump has revived the idea since returning to office, stating in a recent congressional session that the US will secure the island “one way or the other.”
When questioned by reporters on Thursday about his “vision on the potential annexation of Greenland,” Trump responded, “I think it will happen.”
Turning to the NATO chief, the US president stated, “I didn’t give it much thought before, but I’m sitting with a man who could be very instrumental. You know, Mark, we need that for international security. We have a lot of our favorite players cruising around the coasts, and we have to be careful. We’ll be talking to you.”
Trump, smiling, then asked Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, “What do you think about that, Pete?” adding, “Don’t answer that, Pete. Don’t answer that question. But we have bases, and we have quite a few soldiers in Greenland.”
Trump’s comments were quickly met with criticism from Greenland. The outgoing prime minister, Mute Egede, used Facebook to express his disapproval of the US president considering “the thought of annexing us,” stating, “Enough is enough.”
Greenland’s strategic importance stems from its Arctic location, abundant mineral resources. The Danish autonomous territory spans 2.2 million square kilometers, is home to roughly 60,000 people, and hosts a crucial US military base at Thule.