U.S. Expansionism? Trump Won’t Rule Out Military Move for Greenland, Eyes Canada
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
WASHINGTON/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – There was more anxiety in Europe on Monday after U.S. President Donald J. Trump did not rule out using military force to gain control of Greenland, the world’s largest island and an autonomous territory within Denmark.
However, Trump said it was “highly unlikely” that he would use the military to take control of Canada, which he wants to make the 51st state of the U.S.
Since taking office, the U.S. president has repeatedly expressed the idea of US expansion into Greenland, which is considered strategically important for defense and a future source of mineral wealth.
In an interview on Sunday’s “Meet the Press” program on NBC television, Trump was asked whether he would rule out using force against the territory.
“I don’t rule it out. I don’t say I’m going to do it, but I don’t rule out anything. No, not there. We need Greenland very badly. Greenland is a very small amount of people, which we’ll take care of, and we’ll cherish them, and all of that. But we need that for international security,” Trump said.
Following his first 100 days in office, he gave a wide-ranging interview and was also asked about the idea of using military force against Canada.
‘HIGHLY UNLIKELY’
While the idea was once unthinkable, Trump has made it clear that he wants to pressure Canada to join the United States.
“It’s highly unlikely. I don’t see it with Canada. I just don’t see it, I have to be honest with you,” Trump said about the prospect of using force to take over the neighboring nation.
Trump explained that he spoke with Canada’s new prime minister, Mark Carney, and that they could discuss the topic when Carney visits Washington, D.C., “this week or next week.”
Carney and an estimated 90 percent of Canadians oppose folding Canada into the United States. However, Trump said he was open to a discussion.
“I’ll always talk about that. You know why? We subsidize Canada to the tune of $200 billion a year,” Trump said.
“We don’t need their cars. In fact, we don’t want their cars. We don’t need their energy. We don’t even want their energy. We have more than they do. We don’t want their lumber. We have great lumber. All I have to do is free it up from the environmental lunatics,” he added.
GOOD IDEA?
Yet a survey commissioned by outlet ABC News found that respondents didn’t think an annexation of Greenland or Canada would be a good idea.
About 86 percent of those asked said they opposed the U.S. trying to take control of Canada, and 76 percent was against annexing Greenland.
Greenland’s new prime minister shares those sentiments, saying the island is not a “piece of property that can be bought” in response to Trump’s calls for America to take control of the autonomous Danish territory.
On a recent visit to Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital, Jens-Frederik Nielsen said Greenland and Denmark must stand together in the face of “disrespectful” US rhetoric.
He was speaking alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in what has been viewed as another show of unity between the two leaders.
While the U.S. still has a military base in Greenland, using force to take over the island was expected to raise tensions with several European countries that are also part of the NATO military alliance, including Denmark, a founding member.
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