Republican Congressman introduces Greenland annexation bill amid White House threats
Republican Representative Randy Fine introduced a bill in the U.S. Congress on Jan. 12 that aims to authorize the annexation of Greenland and grant the territory statehood amid White House threats to seize the autonomous Danish territory.
"Greenland is not a distant outpost we can afford to ignore—it is a vital national security asset," Fine said in a press release. "Whoever controls Greenland controls key Arctic shipping lanes and the security architecture protecting the United States. America cannot leave that future in the hands of regimes that despise our values and seek to undermine our security."
U.S. President Donald Trump on Jan. 9 said that a U.S. takeover of Greenland is necessary to prevent Russia or China from seizing the territory first, adding that "we are going to do something with Greenland, whether they like it or not."
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Jan. 11 described the threats as a "fateful moment" for Copenhagen as the foreign ministers of both Denmark and Greenland are reportedly set to meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Jan. 14.
"What is at stake is bigger than what the eye can see, because if what we experience from the Americans is that they are actually turning their backs on the Western alliance, that they are turning their backs on our NATO cooperation by threatening an ally, which we have not experienced before, then everything will stop," Frederiksen said.
Following the Jan. 3 U.S. attack on Venezuela, Trump has revived his expansionist ambitions on Greenland, despite concern from allies.
EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius on Jan. 12 told Reuters that a U.S. military takeover of Greenland "will be the end of NATO" and would harm transatlantic relations.
Greenland's location makes it strategically important for access to the Arctic region as melting ice opens up potential shipping routes, vast mineral wealth, and suspected fossil fuel deposits. The island is home to over 56,000 residents and already hosts a U.S. military base in the northwest.
