Leavitt says US controlling Greenland would deter China and Russia in the Arctic, and purchase being ‘actively discussed’ by Trump and team
Asked why the US hasn’t ruled out military force to acquire Greenland, Leavitt says Greenland is “being actively discussed” by Trump and his national security team and they’re talking about what a potential purchase could look like.
Trump, she says, has been clear that the US acquisition of Greenland “would deter Russian and Chinese aggression in the Arctic region”.
Trump’s first option, again, is diplomacy, she adds.
Key events
Chris Stein
If there’s one question that Donald Trump’s Republican allies in Congress are struggling to answer these days, it’s how to respond to a potential US incursion aimed at taking control of the Danish territory of Greenland.
Consider how North Dakota senator Kevin Cramer responded when pressed by a reporter at the Capitol to answer whether such a military operation would require congressional approval.
“Well, it depends on what they would be doing there, but at this point, there’s no intention to do that,” he said.
And yet the White House just days ago issued a statement that sure made it sound like they were contemplating doing whatever was necessary to seize Greeland.
“President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region. The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal,” the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said.
Further pressed by reporters to weigh in on what seems to be an important question before Congress, Cramer demurred. “I’m not going to take that bait,” he said.
“I’m not going to speak to that hypothetical that’s very unlikely to ever come before us.”
When asked about the president’s comments that he’d be open to an operation in Colombia, and whether the country’s president, Gustavo Petro, “should be expecting Delta Force anytime”, Leavitt didn’t offer an answer.
“That would be a very unwise question for me to answer, to weigh into,” she said.
And asked whether Trump is still committed to Nato and the article 5 provision of the alliance’s members coming to each other’s defense, Leavitt points to Trump’s earlier comments on Nato in which he said that “we will always be there for Nato even if they are not there for us”.
(What she didn’t say was that Trump also said that Nato was dependent on the US to survive).
Asked again if there are concerns of increased tensions with Russia because of the tanker seizure, and with China over the Venezuela operation, Leavitt says:
The president has very good, open relationships with both President Putin and President Xi. He has spoken with them numerous times … and I believe those personal relationships are going to continue.
But as for the president and the United States, he’s going to enforce our policy that’s best for the US, and in respect to these ship seizures, that’s enforcing the embargo on all dark-fleet vessels that are illegally transporting oil.
Frances Mao
Pressed on what the US stands to gain if it were to take control of Greenland, given it already has access to military bases there and can station personnel on the territory and place assets, Leavitt replies:
More control over the Arctic region and ensuring that China and Russia and our adversaries cannot continue their aggression in this very important and strategic region.
Leavitt says: “It’s too premature and too early to dictate a timetable for elections in Venezuela right now.”
Leavitt says the US Coast Guard is “escorting” the Sophia vessel – the second oil tanker that was seized in the Caribbean – to the US.
US selectively rolling back Venezuela sanctions, White House says
The US is “selectively rolling back sanctions to enable the transport and sale of Venezuelan crude and oil products to the global market”, Leavitt says.
Leavitt says US controlling Greenland would deter China and Russia in the Arctic, and purchase being ‘actively discussed’ by Trump and team
Asked why the US hasn’t ruled out military force to acquire Greenland, Leavitt says Greenland is “being actively discussed” by Trump and his national security team and they’re talking about what a potential purchase could look like.
Trump, she says, has been clear that the US acquisition of Greenland “would deter Russian and Chinese aggression in the Arctic region”.
Trump’s first option, again, is diplomacy, she adds.
Russian vessel’s crew is subject to prosecution after US seizure, White House says
Asked whether the seizure of the Russian-flagged, Venezuelan-linked Bella-1/Marinera oil tanker risked a larger conflict with Russia, Leavitt doesn’t answer the question.
She says the vessel was transporting sanctioned oil, and that the US “will enforce all sanctions”.
“The vessel had a judicial seizure order … so that means the crew is now subject to prosecution for any applicable violation of federal law, and they will be brought to the United States for such prosecution, if necessary,” she says.
The Kremlin has already responded angrily to the US seizure, saying “no state has the right to use force against ships properly registered in the jurisdictions of other states”. The tanker had received a temporary permit to sail under the Russian flag on 24 December, it said in a statement.
Leavitt is going on about yesterday’s report in the New Yorker on JD Vance’s “notable absence” from the operation in Venezuela, which asked whether his “exclusion” was down to his “anti-interventionist ideology” or whether it was a political calculation.
Leavitt attacks the report as fake and says the vice-president “has been involved in all policy … including Venezuela policy”. She says he was “read in and deeply involved” in the operation from the beginning.
Asked how the US would ensure oil worker security in Venezuela and whether that could involve troops, Leavitt says that Trump “reserves the right to use the US military if necessary”.
Diplomacy is always the first option, she says, adding that Trump tried that with Nicolás Maduro “but unfortunately he was an illegitimate dictator and unserious person”.
“There is a long-term plan here,” Leavitt adds.
