Trump tells NATO leader who wants to annex Greenland: "I think we will."

WashingtonNATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had arrived in Washington with the aim of convincing Donald Trump that the Alliance is still necessary, but he didn't imagine running head-on into the tycoon's expansionist aspirations. The US president insisted to the NATO leader that he "needs" Greenland "for national security" and spoke about a possible annexation: "I think we will do it. We really need it for national security." Greenland is an autonomous territory that is part of Denmark, a NATO ally. In case Rutte wasn't clear on what he wants, Trump singled him out and said: "I'm sitting with a man who could be pivotal."

"I think that's why NATO might have to get involved in some way, because we really need more, and for national security it's very important. You know, we already have a couple of bases in Greenland and we have a few soldiers. And maybe you'll see more and more soldiers going, Seth, half-joking: "What do you think Pete? No, don't answer me."

Trump has explained that the main reason for wanting to annex Greenland is to be able to "protect" it amid the increasing importance of the Arctic as one of the new routes in global trade. The climate change that is causing the melting of the ice makes navigation through these waters easier. "The routes are very direct towards Asia, towards Russia, and there are ships everywhere. "We need protection, so we'll have to come to an agreement on that," said Trump, who asserted that Denmark "is not capable" of providing the necessary protection in this context.

The interest in new trade routes in this area is such that Trump announced during the meeting that the United States will buy 48 "trencagels," which are ships designed to break the ice and make the waters of frozen areas navigable. "Russia, as you know, has about 40, and we only have one large icebreaker," he stated.

A longing that comes from afar

The president's statement to the NATO secretary appears to be a challenge to Denmark and Greenland itself, which have already expressed their rejection of the president's expansionist aspirations. In this regard, Trump has stated that he would support the Greenlandic independence movement if they were accepted as a new state in the United States. Greenland parliament elections The Liberal Party, which was held just this week, won, despite being pro-independence, but advocating for a slower roadmap.

Greenland's outgoing Prime Minister, Múte Egede, considered Trump's statements unacceptable and said he would call together leaders from all parties to reinforce their joint rejection. "The President of the United States has once again spoken about the idea of annexing us (...) Enough is enough," he stated in a Facebook post.

Although it now seems to have become a central element of his agenda, the reality is that during his first term, Trump already expressed his desire to obtain Greenland. Although then, he did so with a bit more discretion. On several occasions, he approached the Danish government with the offer to buy the Arctic island. Despite the refusal, Trump has continued to insist and now he is no longer just raising the option of purchasing it.