Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that the US is “not going to” ever acquire Greenland — and added that even discussing the prospect, as President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly, is a “waste” of time.
“The idea expressed about Greenland is obviously not a good one, but maybe more importantly, it’s obviously one that’s not going to happen,” Blinken told reporters in Paris during a news conference alongside his French counterpart, Jean-Noël Barrot.
“So we probably shouldn’t waste a lot of time talking about it.”
Trump, 78, has publicly mused about taking over the Arctic territory during his presidency, even saying Tuesday he would not rule out using “military coercion” to annex the world’s largest island, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
“I think one of the basic propositions we’ve brought to our work over the last four years,” Blinken said pointedly, “is that we’re stronger, we’re more effective, we get better results when we’re working closely with our allies, not saying or doing things that may alienate them.”
Both the prime ministers of Greenland and Denmark — a founding member of NATO and a member of the European Union — have stressed the island is not for sale, but Trump has seemingly ignored their protestations.
Trump has argued that the island has drawn the interest of two American adversaries, Russia and China, due to its prime location along Arctic shipping routes and its sourcing of vital rare earth minerals.
“Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation,” Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social.
Trump wouldn’t necessarily have to buy the island to get it to be a part of the US.
Greenland could become associated with America if its residents ever voted to become independent from Denmark, which granted the island full autonomy in 2009.
Danish foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen addressed the possibility of Greenland becoming independent in remarks on Wednesday, but argued it would be unlikely they join the US.
“We fully recognize that Greenland has its own ambitions,” he said. “If they materialize, Greenland will become independent, though hardly with an ambition to become a federal state in the United States.”
Currently, Greenlanders are full citizens of Denmark and are subject to the Danish constitution.
