Trump Airs Doubts On NATO Usefulness As Greenland Tensions Rise
Trump has displayed increasing bellicosity over the past week, sparking fresh concerns in Europe about his ambition of taking Greenland.
US President Donald Trump leveled fresh criticism toward NATO, days after Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said his desired takeover of her nation’s territory of Greenland would mean the end of the military alliance.
“RUSSIA AND CHINA HAVE ZERO FEAR OF NATO WITHOUT THE UNITED STATES, AND I DOUBT NATO WOULD BE THERE FOR US IF WE REALLY NEEDED THEM,” Trump posted Wednesday on social media, also criticizing allies for their defense-spending levels.
The first and only time the alliance invoked its mutual-defense mechanism, known as Article 5, was after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the US.
Trump also targeted Norway, a NATO member, because he was not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize — a decision he described as “foolish.” The prize is administered by a Norwegian committee. Despite his concerns, Trump said he remained committed to the alliance.
“We will always be there for NATO, even if they won’t be there for us,” Trump said.
Trump has displayed increasing bellicosity over the past week, sparking fresh concerns in Europe about his ambition of taking Greenland.
Trump did not directly mention the autonomous territory in his post, but his remarks come a day after the White House refused to rule out the use of military force to acquire the island. The US military raid to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro fueled worries that Trump is becoming more unrestrained in his willingness to use military force to achieve his goals.
“If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,” Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster TV2 on Monday. “That is, including our NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of the Second World War.”
Trump is considering many ways to take control of the Arctic island, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
“President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region,” Leavitt said. “The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the US military is always an option at the commander in chief’s disposal.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed the notion of military action in a briefing with lawmakers on Monday, instead signaling that an invasion was not imminent and that the goal was to buy the island from Denmark, the Wall Street Journal reported.
In an effort to resolve the issue, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the governments of Denmark and Greenland requested a meeting with Rubio. Greenland’s foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, said in a Facebook post that the aim of the talks would be “to discuss the United States’ strong statements regarding Greenland.”
European leaders also issued a joint statement, warning that Trump needs to respect the territorial integrity of Greenland and Denmark. The leaders stressed that Greenland falls under NATO’s collective defense umbrella as part of the Kingdom of Denmark and that security in the Arctic must be achieved collectively with NATO allies.
