Washington DC [US], July 11: US President Donald Trump has raised the prospect of a further reduction of US troops in Europe, linking any decision to a possible agreement on the future of Greenland.
"I haven't made that final determination. A lot's going to depend on Greenland," Trump said aboard Air Force One when asked whether he would withdraw more US troops from Europe. Trump said much would depend on whether he could reach what he called "a very good deal on Greenland," adding: "Maybe I will." Shortly after arriving at the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump had already said that Greenland, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, "should be controlled by the United States." A senior US official had previously made clear that, in Washington's view, a takeover of Greenland was the only way to address long-term security risks around the island.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen sharply rejected the demand.
Earlier this year, Trump openly threatened to take over Greenland, not only alienating NATO ally Denmark but also raising doubts about the cohesion of the world's largest military alliance and mutual loyalty within NATO. His justification was that the territory belonging to Denmark would otherwise not be safe from Russia and China and was therefore a problem for US security interests.
Trump later withdrew the threat to use military means if necessary and dropped the announcement of punitive tariffs against Germany and other European countries if they did not agree to sell the island to the US. However, he stuck to his claims to the island. The governments of Denmark and Greenland have consistently rejected US annexation.
Source: Qatar Tribune
