Trump allies renew Greenland, Canada takeover talk
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies during a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing on June 3 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Greenland remains part of Denmark "for now," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a Wednesday House hearing — a nod to President Trump's repeated threats to take over the allied island.
The big picture: Rubio's comment comes after Trump renewed his favored jab at Canada as the "51st State." Those musings reflect the Trump administration's broader assertion of global power that's antagonized friends and foes alike.
Driving the news: At a House hearing Wednesday, Rubio was pressed on Trump's assertion that the U.S. needs to control Greenland — a self governing territory that is part of Denmark — in order to properly defend the island.
- Trump's "view is that it's a lot easier to defend it when you have control and complete control of it," Rubio told Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride.
- He added that the U.S. is in a "good place" in discussions with Greenland and Denmark over the use of the strategically situated, resource-rich territory for collective defense.
- A White House official told Axios that the administration is participating in "diplomatic high-level technical talks" with Greenland and Denmark and that it is "optimistic that we're on a good trajectory."
State of play: Danish and Greenlandic leaders have consistently told Trump that Greenland is not for sale.
- Under a 1951 defense agreement with Denmark, the U.S. already has military access to the island. But Trump has repeatedly claimed that the U.S. needs Greenland.
- Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte discussed a Greenland framework in January that briefly abated talk of the U.S. annexing the island.
- However, Trump's desire to annex new land has come up repeatedly during his second term.
Case in point: On Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra shared the president's Truth Social post calling Canada the 51st state alongside a Bloomberg story about the country dipping into a technical recession.
- However, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney shrugged off Hoekstra's repost, CBC reported. Like Greenland's leadership, Carney has been adamant his country is not for sale.
- Carney has recently signaled a desire for stronger ties with the U.S., despite a tumultuous trade war and Trump's annexation musings.
The bottom line: Trump's hostilities and ridiculing of allies has put historic strain on the country's relationships.
- But as Rubio suggested Wednesday, the door is never fully closed with Trump.
Go deeper: Trump's Greenland gambit thrusts Arctic security into mainstream politics
