We are actually holding talks with Greenland and Denmark regarding the use of Greenland for our collective defense.
The comment was made in the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday. The background is President Donald Trump's controversial statements earlier this year that the United States should control the island, which resulted in fierce protests in Denmark and strained transatlantic relations.
The issue has been partly overshadowed during the Iran war but has come up at NATO meetings. It came to the fore in May when the US opened a new consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, leading to angry demonstrations.
Ongoing call?
And when Marco Rubio was questioned at the House Foreign Affairs Committee this week, he was pressed about Greenland by Sarah McBride, a Democratic member of the House of Representatives. McBride
to President Trump's statement at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year, when he said ownership was required to defend Greenland. According to McBride, the stance conflicts with Article 5, NATO's founding principle of mutual defense guarantees for members of the alliance.Rubio ducked the question of whether he agreed with Trump that the United States should own Greenland, but admitted that it is easier to defend a territory over which the United States has “full control.” He added that he may have “good news” about the negotiations soon.
It is a key part of missile defense. These talks are ongoing right now, said the foreign minister.
We are still members of NATO, but NATO needs to undergo significant changes.
The 51st state
Trump has long argued that the United States “needs” the resource-rich Greenland to protect the Arctic and itself from Russia and China. In the past, the president has not ruled out military action to get his way, but at the inauguration of the consulate in Nuuk, U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Ken Howery said that force is no longer “on the table.”
Expanded territorial power has been a focus since Donald Trump took office in January last year. This week he again referred to neighboring Canada as the U.S.'s "51st state," an epithet he has also used for Venezuela. The president has also threatened to annex the Panama Canal.
Facts: Greenland's autonomy
Greenland is the world's largest island, with around 57,000 inhabitants, and part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
The former colony became a Danish county in 1953, gained self-government in 1979, and self-government was expanded in 2009. At that time, it was said that Greenland has the right to declare independence from Denmark - if and when a referendum is held in which Greenlanders vote yes.
Most Greenlandic parties are in favor of independence, but there are differing views on how quickly it needs to happen, given that Greenlandic society is still dependent on Danish aid. Many Greenlanders want independence, but few want it to come at the expense of their standard of living.
Denmark's King Frederik X is the head of state and the Danish government handles Greenland's defense and foreign policy. Two seats in the Folketing in Copenhagen are reserved for Greenlandic members.
