US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday said he would be meeting with Denmark next week over Greenland even as the White House said that President Donald Trump has “actively discussed” the purchase of the island with his team.
Trump has argued that the US needs to control the strategic Arctic island to ensure its own security in the face of rising threats from China and Russia in the Arctic.
“I’ll be meeting with them (Denmark officials) next week,” Rubio told reporters, AFP reported.
The White House, meanwhile, said that all options are on the table on Greenland, adding that the first option is always diplomacy.
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Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, which is a longtime US ally that has rejected Trump’s overtures. The government in Greenland is also opposed to US intervention on the island, saying the people of Greenland will decide their own future.
Rubio earlier told a select group of lawmakers that it was Trump administration’s intention to eventually purchase Greenland rather than use military force.
On Wednesday, he told reporters that Trump has been talking about acquiring Greenland since his first term.
Tensions with NATO members escalated after the White House said Tuesday that the “US military is always an option.” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned earlier this week that a US takeover would amount to the end of NATO.
Greenland purchase actively discussed: White House
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that the US potential purchase of Greenland is being actively discussed by Trump and his team.
“All options are always on the table for President Trump … the President’s first option always has been diplomacy,” she told a media briefing.
