The US President Donald Trump is sincere about his desire to purchase Greenland, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on thursday following Denmark’s response to his remarks of annexing the independent Danish territory,
Rubio said in an interview that Trump’s interest in Greenland is genuine, but he denied that the US is considering taking military action against Denmark, a NATO partner. However, he declared, “This is not a joke”.
“President Trump’s put out what he intends to do, which is to purchase it,” Rubio told the media. “This has nothing to do with buying land, only to buy land. “This needs to be resolved for the benefit of our country,” he stated. Rubio also brought up Denmark’s defense pledges to NATO.
“We have a defense agreement with them to protect Greenland if it becomes under assault,” he stated. “If we’re already on the hook for having to do that, then we might as well have more control over what happens there.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has spoken with European allies about Trump’s remarks. She also had a phone conversation with Trump, which was described as tense.
Despite not being on the call, Rubio stated that Trump “just speaks bluntly and frankly with people.”
Concerns on China’s interest in Greenland were also voiced by Rubio. He cautioned that China would use state-owned enterprises to increase its influence in the Arctic in order to gain access to it.
“It is completely realistic to believe that the Chinese will eventually, maybe even in the short term, try to do in Greenland what they have done at the Panama Canal and in other places,” Rubio stated.
