Trump says ‘no comment’ when requested if he would use army power to take Greenland | EUROtoday

President Donald Trump refused to rule out utilizing the U.S. army to grab Greenland in an interview with NBC News – the newest in escalating tensions over his need to take over the Danish territory.

After months of rhetoric over the island, an autonomous territory throughout the Kingdom of Denmark situated within the Arctic Circle, Trump has notched up the strain on Denmark and different NATO allies to permit the U.S. to take management of it.

Over the weekend, the president threatened a ten % tariff on Denmark and different European nations except they assist a deal for the U.S. to take over Greenland earlier than February 1. The tariffs would enhance to 25 % from June 1 except an settlement was reached, Trump stated.

When requested Monday by NBC News if he would use the army seize Greenland, Trump responded, “no comment.”

Trump’s remark comes after U.Ok. Prime Minister Keir Starmer insisted the U.S. president was not severe about utilizing the army to forcibly take over the island. On Monday, Starmer stated the dispute over the Danish territory needs to be resolved by means of “calm discussion between allies.”

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Trump has been fixated on Greenland – asserting that its place between Russia, Europe and North America makes it a key location from a nationwide safety standpoint. Additionally, Greenland’s location within the Arctic makes it a profitable location to regulate transport, particularly because the polar ice caps soften. The island is wealthy in pure minerals and assets that the U.S. doesn’t have available.

But each try the president has made to persuade Danish and Greenlandic leaders at hand over the territory, which has been managed by Denmark for greater than two centuries, has been futile.

World leaders, significantly from NATO nations, have persistently condemned Trump’s rhetoric about annexing Greenland.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers have criticized Trump’s makes an attempt to strain Denmark to surrender the island, particularly as members of the administration echoed Trump’s rhetoric. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly tried to quell fears of a army invasion in closed-door briefings.

But drama over the territory has solely escalated in current days.

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Denmark and different European nations have despatched small army forces to Greenland.

The eight European nations that Trump threatened with tariffs except they supported the U.S. acquisition of Greenland launched an announcement Sunday saying, “Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and danger a harmful downward spiral.”

Monday, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre launched a textual content message Trump despatched, through which the U.S. president related his need to accumulate Greenland along with his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize final yr.

In the message, Trump stated he “no longer feels an obligation to think purely of peace.”

Støre stated in an announcement that “on several occasions,” he “clearly explained” to Trump that an unbiased Nobel Committee, not the Norwegian authorities, awards the coveted prize.