‘This is not a joke’: Rubio states Trump is genuinely interested in purchasing Greenland
The Secretary of State emphasized that acquiring the Danish territory is crucial for advancing the country's national interests in the Arctic.
TroibNews 
Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed President Donald Trump’s ambition to purchase Greenland, asserting its importance to U.S. interests.
“This is not a joke,” Rubio stated during an appearance on "The Megyn Kelly Show" on SiriusXM Thursday, marking one of his first media engagements since taking office. “This is not about acquiring land for the purpose of acquiring land. This is in our national interest and it needs to be solved.”
In the discussion, Rubio minimized Trump's earlier comments regarding the potential use of military force against Denmark, a NATO ally, in pursuit of Greenland, but he did not completely dismiss that option.
“He is not going to begin what he views as a negotiation or a conversation by taking ... leverage off the table, and that’s a tactic that’s used all the time in business,” Rubio explained. “It’s being applied to foreign policy and I think to great effect in the first term.”
Earlier this month, Trump had a contentious phone conversation with Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen concerning his interest in acquiring the autonomous territory. During that call, she reiterated the stance of Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Egede, who has consistently maintained that the territory is not for sale.
Rubio highlighted that the Arctic is set to become increasingly vital for shipping routes as the ice recedes. He cautioned that if the U.S. does not act, China may assert control over the region.
“So the question becomes, if the Chinese begin to threaten Greenland, do we really trust that that is not a place where those deals are going to be made?” Rubio questioned. “Do we really trust that that is not a place where they would not intervene, maybe by force?”
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
“This is not a joke,” Rubio stated during an appearance on "The Megyn Kelly Show" on SiriusXM Thursday, marking one of his first media engagements since taking office. “This is not about acquiring land for the purpose of acquiring land. This is in our national interest and it needs to be solved.”
In the discussion, Rubio minimized Trump's earlier comments regarding the potential use of military force against Denmark, a NATO ally, in pursuit of Greenland, but he did not completely dismiss that option.
“He is not going to begin what he views as a negotiation or a conversation by taking ... leverage off the table, and that’s a tactic that’s used all the time in business,” Rubio explained. “It’s being applied to foreign policy and I think to great effect in the first term.”
Earlier this month, Trump had a contentious phone conversation with Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen concerning his interest in acquiring the autonomous territory. During that call, she reiterated the stance of Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Egede, who has consistently maintained that the territory is not for sale.
Rubio highlighted that the Arctic is set to become increasingly vital for shipping routes as the ice recedes. He cautioned that if the U.S. does not act, China may assert control over the region.
“So the question becomes, if the Chinese begin to threaten Greenland, do we really trust that that is not a place where those deals are going to be made?” Rubio questioned. “Do we really trust that that is not a place where they would not intervene, maybe by force?”
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
