‘Military Force Not Off the Table’: Trump After Danish Minister Scolds His Administration On Greenland Visit

<p class=”” data-start=”0″ data-end=”231″>After the Danish foreign minister lashed out at the Trump administration on Saturday for its &ldquo;tone&rdquo; in condemning Denmark and Greenland, US President Donald Trump responded by stating that he never rules out the use of military force.</p>
<p class=”” data-start=”233″ data-end=”560″>Trump&rsquo;s comment came after a video posted by Danish Foreign Minister Lars L&oslash;kke Rasmussen on social media scolding his administration. The video came after U.S. Vice President JD Vance visited the strategically important island, where Vance stated that the U.S. is already increasing its investments in Arctic security and is open to further cooperation.</p>
<p>Rasmussen expressed his frustration, saying, &ldquo;Many accusations and many allegations have been made. And of course, we are open to criticism. But let me be completely honest: we do not appreciate the tone in which it is being delivered. This is not how you speak to your close allies. And I still consider Denmark and the United States to be close allies.&rdquo;</p>
<p class=”” data-start=”915″ data-end=”1071″>Greenland, a Danish territory and NATO ally of the U.S., has been the subject of Trump&rsquo;s desire to annex it, claiming it is necessary for national security.</p>
<h2 data-start=”915″ data-end=”1071″>I Don&rsquo;t Take Anything Off The Table: Donald Trump</h2>
<p>As per the Associated Press report, during the Saturday interview, Trump conceded that &ldquo;I think there&rsquo;s a good possibility that we could do it without military force.&rdquo; &ldquo;This is world peace, this is international security,&rdquo; he said, adding that &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t take anything off the table.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Trump further dismissed concerns about the message it would send to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is working to strengthen his hold on Ukrainian territory three years after his invasion, saying, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t care.&rdquo;</p>
<p>On Friday, Vance claimed that Denmark has &ldquo;underinvested&rdquo; in the security of Greenland and urged Denmark to change its approach as Trump pushes to take control over the Danish.</p>
<p>Vance had visited U.S. troops at the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, along with his wife and other senior U.S. officials, though the trip was ultimately scaled back after backlash from Greenlanders and Danes, who were not consulted about the original plans.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,&rdquo; Vance stated on Friday. &ldquo;You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass filled with incredible people. That has to change.&rdquo;</p>
<p>On Friday, Trump also released a video on his social media platform Truth Social with the caption &ldquo;America Stands With Greenland,&rdquo; depicting images of U.S. troops during World War II.</p>
<p class=”” data-start=”0″ data-end=”190″>In Greenland, Vance stated that the U.S. has &ldquo;no option&rdquo; but to take a strong stance on ensuring the island&rsquo;s security, while advocating for a push for Greenland’s independence from Denmark.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think that they ultimately will partner with the United States,&rdquo; Vance added. &ldquo;We could make them much more secure. We could do a lot more protection. And I think they&rsquo;d fare a lot better economically as well.&rdquo;</p>
<p>However, the response from Greenland’s parliament and its residents has made this scenario unlikely, with widespread anger over the Trump administration&rsquo;s attempts to annex the large Arctic island. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen rejected Vance’s assertion that Denmark is insufficiently contributing to Arctic defense, emphasising that Denmark is “a good and strong ally.”</p>
<p>In response, Greenlandic lawmakers on Thursday agreed to form a new government, uniting to oppose Trump&rsquo;s proposals. Four of the five parties elected to Greenland&rsquo;s parliament earlier this month have agreed to form a coalition that will hold 23 of the 31 seats in the legislature.</p>
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