Trump refuses to rule out using military force to take Greenland, again

In a striking exchange during NBC’s Meet the Press, President Donald Trump said he would not rule out the use of military force to take control of Greenland, repeating his claim that the U.S. needed control of the country for national and international security. Greenland is already a part of NATO as it is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark and the U.S. has troops stationed there.

Pressed by moderator Kristen Welker on whether he would exclude the possibility of military action, Trump said that everything was still on the table.

“I don’t rule it out. I don’t say I’m going to do it, but I don’t rule out anything. No, not there. We need Greenland very badly,” Trump said.

Welbeker asked whether he’d be willing to send troops to take over a sovereign territory, Trump said that it was a real possibility.

“You asked me a question, “Would you, is there a circumstance?” It could happen. I doubt it will, but it certainly could happen with respect to Greenland,” he said. “We need that for international security. Do you know, we have Russian boats and we have Chinese boats, gun ships all over the place—aircraft carriers, gun ships—going up and down the coast of Greenland. We need that to be protected.”

Trump has also repeatedly called for Canada to become a U.S. state, but he said using military force to take over the country was improbable.

“It’s highly unlikely. I don’t see it with Canada, I have to be honest with you,” he said. “They think we are going to protect them, and really, we are.”