Trump actively discussing taking over Greenland

Donald Trump is actively discussing the likelihood of the U.S. buying Greenland, said Karoline Leavitt.

The White House press secretary held a press convention at the White House on Wednesday, the first one since a U.S. operation in Venezuela ousted former President Nicolas Maduro from energy. Since the assault, Trump has instructed that other nations can be next.

For years, Trump has floated the concept of the U.S. buying Greenland, calling it a matter of national security. Leavitt was requested what an offer by the U.S. to Denmark would seem like in the hopes of buying the island.

“Well, that’s something that’s currently being actively discussed by the president and his national security team,” said Leavitt. She added that proposals to purchase Greenland by the U.S. aren’t a new thought.

“This is something that presidents dating back to the 1800s have said is advantageous for America’s national security,” said Leavitt. “The president has been very open and clear with all of you and with the world that he views it in the best interest of the United States to deter Russian and Chinese aggression in the Arctic region.”

The first official proposal from the U.S. to buy Greenland dates back to 1867. U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward, who negotiated the Alaska Purchase from the Russian Empire, thought-about the concept of a U.S. annexation of both Greenland and Iceland an thought “worthy of consideration.”

Robert J. Walker, a former Treasury secretary who helped broker the Alaska deal, beneficial that the U.S. add Greenland and Iceland to its stock. “The reasons are political and commercial,” wrote Walker, according to a report by the U.S. State Department.

“The shores of Greenland much more than those of any other country are indented with deep bays, inlets, estuaries, and fiords, some of them possibly extending from the western to the eastern coast, presenting an immense shore line, and furnishing most extensive and protected fishing grounds,” he added.

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Walker argued that buying Greenland would help the U.S. “command the commerce of the world.” However, no formal offer was made to Denmark.

Trump’s warning

Earlier this week, the White House said in a assertion that the U.S. might probably make the most of the navy to take Greenland. “President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region,” said Leavitt.

“The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal.”

However, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said that U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio told him he had “ruled out the possibility of an invasion” of Greenland.

“I myself was on the phone yesterday with U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio … who confirmed that this was not the approach taken,” Barrot told France Inter Radio on Wednesday.

“We want to take action, but we want to do so together with our European partners. Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, Stephen Miller, told reporters on Monday that “no one [was] going to combat the United States navy over the future of Greenland.”

He also stated in an interview with GWN that military intervention would not be necessary to gain control over the country due to its small population.

Despite the heated debate surrounding Greenland, there is a clear desire among ministers to de-escalate the situation. Both Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the Danish Prime Minister, and Greenland’s Prime Minister Vivian Motzfeldt are seeking an urgent meeting with Rubio to discuss the matter further.

“We would love to add some nuance to the dialog. The shouting match must get replaced by a more smart dialogue. Now,” Rasmussen said on social media on Wednesday.