Ruben Gallego introduces measure to stop Trump from taking over Greenland
“Trump is telling us exactly what he wants to do. We must stop him before he invades another country on a whim,” Gallego wrote, according to CNBC. “I’m proposing a resolution that would prevent Trump from invading Greenland. No more wars forever,” Gallego added. President Trump talked about Greenland in an interview with The Atlantic magazine over the weekend.
Trump spoke about Greenland
Trump said others will decide whether the latest US attack to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro has any meaning for Greenland. Trump also said during the interview, “We definitely need Greenland. We need it for defense.” On Sunday, Trump spoke again aboard Air Force One and repeated his views on Greenland.
“From a national security standpoint, we need Greenland, and I would say Denmark can’t do that,” Trump said, as CNBC noted. On Monday, Gallego introduced an amendment to the Senate Defense Appropriations bill. The change would prevent U.S. government money from being used for military action against Greenland.
The White House responded to the issue through a spokesperson on Tuesday. “President Trump believes Greenland is a strategically important location critical to national security,” a White House spokesman said. The spokesman also said Trump believes the Greenlanders will be better protected by the United States against modern Arctic threats.
Denmark and Greenland reacted
“The President is committed to establishing long-term peace at home and abroad,” the spokesman added. As CNBC noted, on Tuesday the governments of Denmark and Greenland requested a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt said in a statement that the request was made to “discuss the important statement made by the United States about Greenland.”
Motzfeldt said that Denmark and Greenland wanted to hold meetings at the ministerial level throughout 2025, but they could not receive this request. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, was asked Tuesday whether he was worried about the Venezuela attack spreading elsewhere. “I hope it spreads to Cuba. The situation is different in Greenland,” Graham said. Graham said many people want a stronger U.S. presence in Greenland to counter Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic. “Everyone wants us to have a larger presence in Greenland to combat Russian/Chinese Arctic influence,” Graham said. “I totally agree with that. I think Trump is asking: what is the legal relationship we’re going to have?” Graham added, according to CNBC. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut also reacted Tuesday.
Denmark warned the USA
“If I am a European NATO member, I would reevaluate my participation in this effort if NATO countries were invaded by Donald Trump,” Murphy said. Asked whether NATO would need to defend Greenland against the United States, Murphy said, “Of course, yes.” “That’s what it says in Article 5,” Murphy said.
“Article 5 did not stipulate that the occupying country would become a member of NATO,” Murphy added, as CNBC noted. “We’re laughing, but it’s not really a laughing matter right now because I think he’s getting more and more serious,” Murphy said. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also spoke on Sunday. He called on the United States to “end threats against a historically close ally, another country, and another people who have publicly said they are not for sale.”
Frederiksen said Denmark and Greenland are part of NATO and are protected by the alliance. “The Kingdom of Denmark, and therefore Greenland, is part of NATO and is therefore covered by the security guarantee of the alliance,” he said. According to CNBC, Frederiksen also pointed out that the United States already has military access to Greenland. “Today, we already have a defense agreement between the Kingdom and the United States that provides the United States with broad access to Greenland,” he said.
FAQ
Q1. Why is Senator Gallego trying to block Trump in Greenland?
He said Trump’s comments pointed to a possible military intervention and that he wanted to prevent the United States from using force against Greenland.
Q2. Why does Trump say Greenland is important to the United States?
Trump said Greenland is important to US national security and Arctic defense.
