Donald Trump has not ruled out using force to seize Greenland from the kingdom of Denmark as tensions escalate between the US and NATO.
The president was asked in a telephone interview on Monday if he would use military force to take Greenland if a deal could not be reached over the Danish territory.
Trump gave a simple response: ‘No comment.’
Over the weekend, Trump ramped up pressure on European nations after he imposed 10% tariffs on Denmark and seven other NATO allies.
The tariffs will remain on the Europeans until a deal is made for America’s acquisition of Greenland.
Moreover, the president recently suggested in a private text exchange on Sunday with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre that his push to take Greenland is tied to his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Denmark pulled out of the Davos summit on Monday after Trump announced the tariffs.
Trump is set to deliver the keynote speech at the World Economic Forum at the Swiss resort on Wednesday, with the dispute over the Danish territory looming large.
The president has threatened to pull out of NATO if the US isn’t allowed to take control of Greenland, which he claims is integral to national security.
The EU is preparing to threaten the US with retaliatory tariffs on $110 billion in goods, or potentially denying America access to the common market, The Financial Times reported.
European stock markets dropped sharply on Monday, while Wall Street was closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The President said on Saturday he was imposing a 10 percent levy starting on February 1, rising to 25 percent in June, unless there’s a deal for the ‘purchase of Greenland.’
Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland would face the tariff, Trump said in a Truth Social post, after they sent troops to Greenland.
Since starting his second-term, Trump has suggested the US should acquire Greenland to stop Russia and China from taking over strategic positioning in the Artic region.
The Danish territory provides strategic access to the Arctic, where China and Russia have in recent years flexed their geopolitical might as the melting polar ice provides greater access to shipping lanes and natural resources.
Greenland, which houses NATO military bases, is also rich in oil, gold, graphite, copper, iron, and other rare earth elements.
Moreover, the president believes Greenland could provide infrastructure for the proposed ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense system to protection North America from ballistic threats.
Greenland’s rare earth minerals and fossils fuels would be essential for America to decouple its reliance on Chinese supply chains.
