Trump wants to seize Greenland because of the threat of Russia and China

Trump says the US could «seize» Greenland due to threats from Russia and China

Donald Trump said that the defence of Greenland actually «consists of two dog sleds» and is not able to withstand the activity of Russian and Chinese naval forces. According to him, destroyers and submarines of the Russian Federation and China are in the region, which poses a threat to the security of the United States and NATO.

The President stressed that he would not allow Greenland to fall under the control of Moscow or Beijing, even if it affected relations with the Alliance.

Trump's statements on Greenland

Speaking to journalists Donald Trump made a number of strong statements:

• «Greenland's defence literally consists of two dog sleds.».

• «If Washington doesn't take over Greenland, Russia or China will. I will not allow this to happen.».

• «One way or another, we will have Greenland.».

• The President added that the United States reserves the right to act, even if it causes tensions within NATO.

Trump also said that allies «need the US more than the US needs them».

Rhetoric on NATO

Separately, the head of the White House questioned the effectiveness of the Alliance:

• According to Trump, without his involvement, NATO «might not exist»;

• He claimed that it was he who «saved NATO»;

• The President has admitted that the US could withdraw from the Alliance to save money, but has no plans to do so at this time;

• At the same time, Trump expressed doubts that allies would really come to the US's aid if needed.

Context.

Greenland is strategically important for the control of the Arctic, sea lanes and the US and NATO early warning system. Against the backdrop of Russia's and China's increased activity in the Arctic region, Western countries are discussing strengthening their military presence, including the establishment of new NATO missions.

Earlier, Germany proposed that NATO form a separate Arctic mission to monitor security around Greenland, and the United Kingdom allowed for the possibility of deploying military forces in the region.