Donald Trump would
not rule out using military force to gain control of Greenland, the world’s
largest island and an autonomous territory within Denmark, a fellow Nato
member with the US.
Since taking office, the US
president has repeatedly
expressed the idea of US expansion into Greenland, triggering
widespread condemnation and unease both on the island itself and in the global
diplomatic community. Greenland is seen as strategically important both for
defense and as a future source of mineral wealth.
In an interview on NBC’s Meet The
Press on Sunday, Trump was asked whether he would rule out using force against
the territory. “I don’t rule it out. I don’t say I’m going to do it, but I
don’t rule out anything. No, not there. We need Greenland very
badly. Greenland is a very small amount of people, which we’ll take care of,
and we’ll cherish them, and all of that. But we need that for international
security,” Trump said.
The exchange came as part of
wide-ranging interview following Trump’s first 100-days
in office last week and he was also asked about the idea of using
military force against Canada –
an idea once unthinkable but now a subject of speculation amid Trump’s repeated
assertion he would like to make Canada the US’s 51st state.
“It’s highly unlikely. I don’t
see it with Canada.
I just don’t see it, I have to be honest with you,” Trump said.
Trump said he had spoke with
Canada’s new prime minister, Mark Carney, and
confirmed that the pair had not spoken about making his country part of the US.
But he said they could discuss the topic when Carney visits Washington DC “this
week or next week”. Carney, along with around 90% of Canadians, oppose the idea
of folding Canada into the US. But Trump said he was open to a discussion.
“I’ll always talk about that. You
know why? We subsidize Canada to the tune of $200bn a year,” Trump said. “We
don’t need their cars. In fact, we don’t want their cars. We don’t need their
energy. We don’t even want their energy. We have more than they do. We don’t
want their lumber. We have great lumber. All I have to do is free it up from
the environmental lunatics.”
Trump said that if “Canada was
part of the US it wouldn’t cost us. It would be great … it would be a cherished
state. And, if you look at our map, if you look at the geography – I’m a real
estate guy at heart. When I look down at that without that artificial line that
was drawn with a ruler many years ago – was just an artificial line, goes
straight across. You don’t even realize.”
“What a beautiful country it
would be,” he added.
A poll published last month found
that 68% of Americans believe Trump is serious about the US trying to take over
Greenland, and 53% think Trump is serious when he talks about the US trying to
take control of Canada.
But the survey, commissioned
by ABC News found that respondents didn’t think either annexation
would be a good idea. About 86% said they opposed the US trying to take control
of Canada, and 76% opposed trying to take control of Greenland.
-The Guardian
Danish
PM tells US ‘you cannot annex another country’ on visit to Greenland
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.