President Donald Trump neither confirmed nor denied whether he intends to use force to bring Greenland, a Danish territory, under U.S. control, a move that would likely blow up NATO.
Trump was asked whether he would be willing to take Greenland by force, a move that would be seen as an attack on Denmark and would violate the group’s Article 5 security guarantee that an attack on one nation is an attack on all nations. The United States is NATO’s largest partner, and without U.S. funding and manpower, the group would largely be rendered ineffective. NATO partners have attempted to placate Trump in the past by increasing defense funding to NATO in an effort to stop the U.S. from leaving the alliance.
“You don’t know what I’m going to do,” Trump said in response to possibly ending NATO. “I wouldn’t be telling you what I’m willing to do. Certainly, I’m not going to give up options. But it’s very important.”
“Greenland is very important for the national security, including of Denmark,” he continued. “And the problem is, is not a thing that Denmark can do about it if Russia or China wants to occupy Greenland, but there’s everything we can do. You found that out last week with Venezuela. There’s everything we can do about things such as that.”
The president also said he could not “rely” on Denmark to fend for itself against Russian or Chinese aggression and mocked the nation for adding dog sleds as part of its security.
“You know they were talking about they put an extra dog, and they were serious about this, they put an extra dog sled there last month,” Trump said. “They added a second dog sled. That’s not going to do the trick.”
Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Denmark and Greenland’s top diplomats, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart, Vivian Motzfeldt, at the White House earlier on Wednesday, as Trump’s comments about acquiring Greenland have spooked European allies.
While Trump said he would be briefed on the meeting later on Wednesday, he boasted of having a good relationship with Denmark while speaking in the Oval Office.
“We’ll see how it all works out,” he added. “I think something will work out.”
On Truth Social on Wednesday morning, Trump said acquiring Greenland is “vital” for the Golden Dome missile defense system, despite warnings from NATO allies that the U.S. acquiring Greenland by force could end the decadeslong alliance.
“NATO should be leading the way for us to get it. IF WE DON’T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!” Trump wrote. “NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES. Anything less than that is unacceptable.”
He reiterated those comments during an Oval Office event on Wednesday to sign the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, legislation that allows schools to offer whole and 2% milk to students, reversing guidance from former President Barack Obama’s tenure that restricted options to fat-free and low-fat milk.
TRUMP POSITS GREENLAND ‘VITAL’ FOR GOLDEN DOME SYSTEM AS RUBIO MEETS DANISH OFFICIALS
After his meeting with Vance and Rubio, Rasmussen said, “We have decided to form a high-level working group to explore if we can find a common way forward.”
“The group, in our view, should focus on how to address the American security concerns, while at the same time respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark. We expect that such a group will meet for a first time within a matter of weeks,” he added.