White House suggests military option for Greenland amid NATO tensions

According to Independent.co, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, speaking on behalf of President Donald Trump, raised the option of using military force to take control of Greenland after a firm joint statement from European leaders about the island's status.

The editorial noted that leaders of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK had declared, "Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland." It also recorded the White House position that Greenland is a matter of "national and international security" for the US and quoted a senior aide saying, "The US is the power of Nato," while arguing that Europe’s main recourse is private diplomacy.

The piece argued the US could meet its defence interests by stationing forces or assets on Greenland without changing its constitutional status and urged discreet talks and creative solutions such as free association or a leaseback. It added that any change would need approval by the Danish parliament and a referendum of the people of Greenland and warned against actions that would further weaken the Western alliance.

Key Topics

World, Greenland, Denmark, Donald Trump, Nato, Karoline Leavitt