Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated President Donald Trump's desire to buy Greenland, saying it would be vital to US interests, quoted by News.bg.
"This is not a joke", Rubio said on "The Megyn Kelly Show" on SiriusXM on Thursday, one of his first media appearances since being sworn in. "This is not about acquiring land for the sake of acquiring land. This is in our national interest and it needs to be resolved."
During the interview, Rubio downplayed Trump's previous remarks that he did not rule out using military force against NATO ally Denmark to acquire Greenland – but did not outright dismiss the possibility.
"He is not going to start what he sees as a negotiation or a conversation by giving up potential leverage – and that is a tactic that is used all the time in business," Rubio said. "It applies to foreign policy as well, and I think it would have a big impact in his first term."
Earlier this month, Trump had a tense phone call about his desire to buy the autonomous territory with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. During the call, she echoed Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede's repeated statements that the territory was not for sale, her office said.
Rubio said the Arctic would become "critical for shipping lanes" as the ice in the region continues to melt. He warned that if the US does not take action, China could gain dominance over the territory.
"So the question is: if the Chinese start threatening Greenland, do we really believe that this is not the place where these deals will be made?" – Rubio said. "Do we really believe that this is not the place where they will not intervene, perhaps with force?"