United States President Donald Trump has threatened to “take” Greenland, whether the self-governing territory of Denmark “likes it or not”, saying it is strategically important in the Arctic region.
According to Al Jazeera, Trump said on Friday, January 9, that the US needed to take over Greenland to prevent Russia or China from occupying it, and accused the Danish authorities of failing to adequately secure the waters around Greenland, a claim rejected by local politicians.
“We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not. Because if we don’t do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we’re not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour,” Trump told reporters at the White House while meeting with oil company executives.
“We don’t want Russia or China going to Greenland, which – if we don’t take Greenland – you’re going to have Russia or China as your next-door neighbour. That’s not going to happen,” he said. “I would like to make a deal, you know, the easy way. But if we don’t do it the easy way, we’re going to do it the hard way.”
Recent US attacks on Venezuela and the abduction of the South American country’s president, Nicolas Maduro, have spurred heightened concerns around what Trump may be planning for Greenland.
Greenland’s foreign minister said earlier Friday that the Greenlandic government should “take the lead” in planned talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the United States continues to threaten to take over the autonomous Danish territory.
