Rubio to meet Denmark leaders next week, signals no retreat on Trump's Greenland goal

• Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State, said on Wednesday he would meet leaders of Denmark next week but signalled no retreat from President Donald Trump's aim to take over Greenland as alarmed allies, including France and Germany, were working on a response.
• A weekend U.S. military operation that seized the leader of Venezuela rekindled concerns about U.S. intentions toward Greenland, and U.S. officials have done little to allay fears.
• Rubio told reporters that Trump retained the option to address his objective by military means. Still, "as a diplomat, which is what I am now, and what we work on, we always prefer to settle it in different ways - that included in Venezuela," he said when asked if the U.S. was willing to potentially endanger the U.S.-led NATO military alliance with a forcible takeover of Greenland.
• A U.S. military seizure of the mineral-rich Arctic island from Denmark, a long-time ally, would send shock waves through NATO and deepen the divide between Trump and European leaders. It has prompted pushback in the U.S. Congress, with Democratic and Republican U.S. senators saying on Wednesday they expected the Senate would eventually vote on legislation seeking to rein in Trump's ability to attempt to seize Greenland.
• Greenland is strategically located between Europe and North America, making it a critical site for the U.S. ballistic missile defence system for decades. Its mineral wealth also aligns with Washington's ambition to reduce reliance on China. Trump first voiced the idea of gaining control of Greenland in 2019, during his first presidency.
• He argues that it is key for U.S. military strategy and that Denmark has not done enough to protect it, although two treaties already give the U.S. military nearly unlimited access to the island, one signed with Denmark in 1951 and the other in 2023.
• The White House said on Tuesday that Trump was discussing options for acquiring Greenland, including potential use of the U.S. military despite European objections. Others in the administration have said different approaches were possible. Rubio said during a classified briefing late on Monday for congressional leaders, the goal was to buy the island, two sources familiar with the briefing said.

(Source: Reuters)