At the moment, taking control of Greenland by the US is the only way to address the long-term security risks surrounding the ice-covered island, which belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark, a senior US official said, quoted by DPA.
"We still believe this is the best way to meet NATO's defense needs as far as Greenland is concerned", he stressed to the media ahead of the NATO summit, which will take place tomorrow and the day after in Turkey.
Other options are also being considered, he added, without specifying which ones.
The US official pointed to the increased naval activity in the area around Greenland and said that President Donald Trump is looking for a solution that will remain valid after the end of his term. mandate.
"And at this point, the only solution we have found is for the United States to acquire Greenland," he noted.
Earlier this year, Trump openly threatened to take control of the strategically important Arctic island — something that not only alienated Denmark, Washington's NATO ally, but also raised doubts about the cohesion of the world's largest military alliance and the mutual loyalty of its members. The US president argued that otherwise the territory belonging to Denmark would not be protected by Russia and China and therefore posed a problem for US security interests.
Trump later abandoned the threat of using military means if necessary and the intention to impose punitive tariffs on Germany and other European countries if they did not agree to sell the island to the US. However, he did not give up his claims to Greenland.
The Danish government and the regional authorities of Greenland categorically reject the possibility of American annexation. They have already started talks with the Trump administration with the aim of finding a compromise, DPA notes.