U.S. President Donald Trump said on Jan. 9 that an American takeover of Greenland is necessary in order to prevent Russia or China from seizing the territory first.
"(W)e are going to do something with Greenland, whether they like it or not," he told reporters. "Because if we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we're not going to have Russia or China as a neighbor."
Trump also said the recent U.S. attack on Venezuela was necessary to prevent Russia or China from "occupying" the country first.
The comments came as Trump assembled the leaders of major U.S. oil and gas companies at the White House to announce Washington's plans for seizing control of the Venezuelan oil industry. The briefing comes a week after the U.S. military invaded Venezuela and toppled the regime of dictator Nicolas Maduro.
Trump told reporters during the briefing that U.S. military and economic intervention in other countries was necessary to prevent Russia and China from doing the same — not just in Venezuela, but also in Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.
"We don't want to have Russia (in Venezuela). We don't want to have China there," Trump said. "And by the way, we don't want Russia or China going to Greenland ... If we don't take Greenland, you're going to have Russia or China as your next-door neighbor. That's not gonna happen."
Following the U.S. attack on Venezuela, Trump has revived his expansionist ambitions on Greenland, repeating claims that an American seizure of Greenland is a matter of "national security."
The island is home to over 56,000 residents and already hosts a U.S. military base. Its location makes it strategically important for access to the Arctic region, and the land holds vast mineral wealth and suspected fossil fuel deposits. --->READ MORE HERE
President Trump said Friday that the US will acquire Greenland “whether they like it or not” because “if we don’t do it, China or Russia will.”
Trump vowed Denmark would transfer Greenland “the easy way” or “the hard way.”
“Ownership” is necessary, Trump insisted at the White House, because “you don’t defend leases the same way — you have to own it.”
The remarks were Trump’s most forceful to date on taking the world’s largest island and come just three days after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said military action was “always an option.”
The setting of the comments, notably, was a forum with oil executives to discuss divvying up Venezuela’s oil resources following the Saturday US raid that captured that country’s president Nicolas Maduro.
On Greenland, Trump ruled out compromises such as Copenhagen allowing for an enhanced US military presence or a free-association compact with an independent local government.
“When we own it, we defend it. You don’t defend leases the same way. You have to own it,” Trump said.
“Countries can’t make nine-year deals, or even 100-year deals. Countries have to have ownership. And you defend ownership, you don’t defend leases, and we’ll have to defend Greenland. If we don’t do it, China or Russia will — not going to happen.” --->READ MORE HERE
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