Officials in Denmark and Greenland are seeking a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio following President Donald Trump’s reinvigorated focus on purchasing the strategic Arctic island, days after Venezuelan Dictator Nicolas Maduro’s was ousted.
Tension has increased after the White House reiterated President Trump’s wishes to take over the Danish territory on Tuesday. President Trump has argued that it is crucial for national security that the U.S. control the island in the face of possible threats from China and Russia along the Arctic.
The White House assured on Tuesday that it is exploring the possibilities of acquisition, stating that the “U.S. military is always an option.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, earlier this week, expressed stark opposition to the idea of a U.S. takeover, warning that any attempt to remove Denmark’s control of Greenland could result in the end of their NATO alliance.
“I will also make it clear that if the U.S. chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops, including NATO and thus the security that has been established since the end of the Second World War,” Frederiksen affirmed in an interview with Danish broadcaster TV2.
The request for a summit with Rubio came from Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Foreign Minister, Vivian Motzfeldt. According to officials, previous attempts were not successful.
Other European leaders joined Frederiksen in a statement issued on Tuesday. Their statement defended Greenland’s autonomy, reaffirming that the strategic island “belongs to its people.”
According to AP News, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said he spoke with Rubio on Tuesday, stating that the secretary dismissed the idea that the Trump administration could establish a Venezuela-style military operation in Greenland.
President Trump’s statements regarding Greenland are part of a slew of new threats towards several countries, including Cuba and Colombia, which began after the successful U.S. operation in Venezuela, which deposed its ruler, Nicolas Maduro.
