Trump Threatens Tariffs On Countries That Don't Support His Greenland Takeover Dreams

(MENAFN- Live Mint) United States President Donald Trump on Friday threatened tariffs on countries that don't support his Greenland takeover dreams.

"I may put a tariff on countries if they don't go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security," Trump stated at a health roundtable at the White House, according to AFP.

Trump earlier said the US requires control of Greenland for“national security” reasons, stating that the territory is critical to the“Golden Dome” defense system his administration is developing. He said that North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) should take the lead in supporting US efforts to secure Greenland, warning that if Washington does not do so, Russia or China could step in, an outcome he said would be“unacceptable”.

He also claimed that NATO's military effectiveness depends heavily on US power, much of which he said was built up during his first term and is now being strengthened further. Without the US, he mentioned, the alliance would lack real deterrent capability. According to Trump, NATO would become significantly stronger and more effective if Greenland were under US control, insisting that any alternative arrangement would fall short.

Also Read | Mint Quick Edit | Trump's Greenland gambit tests Nato: Could it actually split?

After holding talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday, Rasmussen and Motzfeldt announced that the US and Denmark will set up a working group to address a wide range of issues related to Greenland. The group is expected to convene in the coming weeks.

He said Denmark and Greenland were open to the idea of the United States establishing additional military bases on the island, but stressed that there were certain“red lines” that Washington could not overstep.

"We agreed that it makes sense to try to sit down on a high level to explore whether there are possibilities to accommodate the concerns of the president while we, at the same time, respect the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark," Denmark's FM stated.

Also Read | NATO allies send troops to Greenland as Trump doubles down on potential takeover 'The president is serious'

Trump's special envoy to Greenland said he intends to visit the Danish territory in March and expressed confidence that an agreement can be reached, according to Reuters.

"I do believe that there's a deal that should and will be made once this plays out," Jeff Landry told Fox News on Friday, as a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers was preparing to hold meetings with leaders in Greenland and Denmark.

Emphasising the administration's intent, Landry said, "The president is serious. I think he's laid the markers down. He's told Denmark what he's looking for, and now it's a matter of having Secretary (of State Marco) Rubio and Vice President JD Vance make a deal."

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