Donald Trump Reiterates US Claims On Greenland; Mulls 'Golden Dome' Against Russia, China

Washington: US President Donald Trump has once again reiterated American claims on Greenland. He posted on social media that Greenland coming under US control will make NATO "far stronger and more effective". 

What did Donald Trump say?

Trump explicitly stated in his post that anything less than this is unacceptable. He demanded that Denmark be removed from NATO and said that the US needs complete control of the Arctic island in order to strengthen national security.

The US President reiterated on his social media platform that the US needs Greenland for national security. He said that NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) should take the lead in acquiring it, otherwise Russia or China will seize it, and that will not be allowed to happen. Trump wrote that Greenland coming under US control would make NATO far stronger and more effective.

What is the political status of Greenland?

Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, a NATO member. It is at the center of a geopolitical dispute, as Trump remains adamant about demanding US control over it, while Greenland's residents say the territory is not for sale. On the other hand, the White House has not ruled out the possibility of a forced takeover. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance met with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt in Washington to discuss the issue.

What is the Golden Dome?

Trump said on Wednesday that Greenland is extremely important for the US's Golden Dome missile defence program. He expressed his desire to use the island to strengthen US security and cited the threat from Russian and Chinese ships as the reason. However, Greenland residents and experts have questioned these claims.

What are the diplomatic efforts being undertaken to solve the crisis?

Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis have intensified. The Danish ambassador to the US is scheduled to meet with senators from the US Congress's Arctic Caucus. New Hampshire Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski have introduced a bipartisan bill that would prohibit the use of US State Department funds for the occupation or annexation of Greenland or any NATO member's territory without their consent. A delegation of lawmakers from both parties is scheduled to travel to Copenhagen this weekend to meet with Danish and Greenlandic officials.