President Donald Trump doubled down on his insistence that the U.S. annexes Greenland, arguing that any other alternative is simply “unacceptable.”
Repeating his stance that the annexation of the territory is needed for “national security” purposes, Trump on Wednesday morning insisted that NATO “should be leading the way for us to get it” claiming that “NATO becomes far more formidable and effective” with Greenland under the jurisdiction of the U.S.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]Trump’s comments came hours before the Danish and Greenland foreign ministers, Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Vivian Motzfeldt, were set to engage in a high-stakes meeting with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House.
The meeting lasted roughly 90 minutes and did not include Trump. Rasmussen and Motzfeldt are set to hold a press briefing at the Embassy of Denmark in Washington, D.C. at 2 p.m. ET to discuss the talks.
As the three sides were meeting on Wednesday morning, the White House posted on social media a cartoon-style image of a dog sled emblazoned with the Greenland flag deciding between two paths: one towards a sunny White House and the other towards a thunderous China and Russia. The image was captioned: “Which way, Greenland man?”
Read More: The Republicans Breaking Ranks With Trump Over Greenland Threats: ‘This Is Appalling’
Despite the mounting pressure from the U.S., Greenland—a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark—has maintained its firm disinterest in coming under America’s control.
In a damning public rebuke on Tuesday, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said: “We are now facing a geopolitical crisis, and if we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark.”
Standing alongside Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen, Nielsen emphasized: “We choose NATO. We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the E.U.”
This isn’t the first time Nielsen has implored Trump to stop his annexation rhetoric after the U.S. President renewed his threats against Greenland in the wake of the Venezuela operation, which captured and detained fallen President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
“No more pressure. No more hints. No more fantasies about annexation,” the territory’s leader urged on Jan. 4, stating that Greenland will no longer stand for “pressure” or “disrespectful posts on social media.”
Nielsen has received an outpouring of support from European leaders, who have taken a strong stance against the White House’s repeated refusal to rule out resorting to military force to annex the territory.
A statement published by Denmark alongside fellow NATO members France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom denounced the U.S. interest in the territory and said it is for “Denmark and Greenland” only to decide on matters concerning the island.
And it isn’t only European figures and NATO allies who have showcased solidarity with Greenland, as members within Trump’s own Republican Party have also rebuked his pressure campaign on the territory.
“This is appalling. Greenland is a NATO ally. Denmark is one of our best friends… so the way we’re treating them is really demeaning and it has no upside,” Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska told CNN last week. “We’re not going to acquire Greenland. I know most of those people in Greenland want to remain independent.”
Understanding the geopolitical backdrop to Trump’s unique focus on Greenland
Greenland, the world’s largest island, boasts a sought-after location in the Arctic. Its positioning between the U.S., Russia, and Europe makes it a strong geopolitical asset. For starters, it’s an ideal location to monitor nearby vessels. And although Greenland is already home to the U.S. Pituffik Space Base, it’s possible there could be hopes to expand the U.S. presence.
“Right now Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security. And Denmark is not going to be able to do it,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One in early January.
As well as occupying a prime geopolitical location, the much-discussed territory is also home to rare Earth minerals, which have long garnered interest from outside jurisdictions—including the U.S.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, while commenting on the U.S. interest in acquiring Greenland, not only noted the “strategic importance” of the territory’s geographical placement, but also mentioned its Earth minerals—the access to which would “align” with the Trump Administration’s “America first” approach.
“There’s a way for the Trump Administration to get what it says it wants, and that’s mineral access and military bases, by doing something that should be normal,” Nick Burns, former U.S. ambassador to NATO and U.S. ambassador to China, told TIME last week. “And that’s respecting Denmark, working with them diplomatically on the basis the Danes have suggested: we are sovereign, but we welcome American investment and military presence.”
—Nik Popli contributed to the reporting
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