Trump says Greenland ‘essential’ for security: Could he take it by force?

Trump says Greenland ‘essential’ for security: Could he take it by force? Trump’s latest comments have prompted diplomatic protests from Denmark over sovereignty concerns. President Donald Trump has said the United States needs Greenland for its “national security” after naming Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to the Danish Arctic island, prompting protests from Copenhagen. “We need Greenland for national security, not for minerals,” Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on Monday, adding that Landry would “lead the charge”. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 Greenland will never be ‘piece of property’ to be bought, PM says list 2 of 3 Month of May was world’s second-warmest on record: EU scientists list 3 of 3 Macron to visit Greenland to boost ‘European unity’ amid Trump threats Landry said he would make the Arctic territory “a part of the US”. The comments drew sharp rebukes from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen. “You cannot annex another country ... Not even with an argument about international security,” they said in a joint statement. “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders and the US shall not take over Greenland,” they added. Since Trump returned to the White House in January, he has commented on several occasions about his desire for the mineral-rich island, a demand Denmark and many other European nations have steadfastly rejected. So, what does Trump sending an envoy mean for Greenland, and could he succeed in acquiring it? Why is Trump saying Greenland is ‘essential’ to US national security? The US president insisted that the resource-rich island is “essential” for security reasons, rather than for its mineral resources. “If you take a look at Greenland, you look up and down the coast, you have Russian and Chinese ships all over the place,” he said on Monday, while adding that the US has “many sites for minerals and oil”. Trump’s interest in Greenland is not new. During his first term as US president from 2017 to 2021, he mooted the idea of buying the island from Denmark. Trump then postponed a 2019 visit to the Nordic country after Danish PM Frederiksen slammed the idea. He has refused to rule out the use of military force to seize control, noting in March that the US would “go as far as we have to”. Geographically part of North America, Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, lies about 2,900km (1,800 miles) from New York - closer than it is to Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital, which is situated roughly 3,500km (2,174 miles) to the east. The semi-autonomous territory has a population of 57,000 people. Why has Trump sent an ‘envoy’ to Greenland - what does that signify? On Sunday, the US president appointed Louisiana Governor Landry as special envoy to Greenland, prompting anger from Copenhagen, which summoned the US ambassador to explain the decision. Following the announcement, Landry said it would be an honour to serve in a role meant to “make Greenland a part of the US”,...

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