President Donald Trump’s push to acquire Greenland has sparked a backlash from Republicans in Congress, as lawmakers’ voice growing concern about US military interventions overseas.
But it remains unclear if enough Republicans are willing to join Democrats to block a takeover of the island territory – and whether Trump would bow to pressure from Congress, or act alone as he’s done several times in a second term marked by growing American entanglements abroad.
The focus on Greenland has grown into a broader discussion over the Trump administration’s unilateral use of military force, along with diplomatic and economic coercion, to project power in Venezuela, Iran and elsewhere around the world.
Republicans have largely backed Trump’s foreign policy agenda since he returned to the White House. But now, a growing number are siding with Democrats in Congress and Nato allies who say a takeover of Greenland would violate US and international law.
In recent days, some Republican leaders have said there’s little interest in the US buying Greenland or seizing it through military force. The White House had previously left the military option on the table but on Wednesday it was ruled out by Trump in his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Some Republican lawmakers have also joined Democrats in opposing a new plan by Trump to place tariffs on countries that don’t back his bid to acquire the territory, which is self-governed but controlled by Denmark.
The proposed tariffs would be “bad for America, bad for American businesses, and bad for America’s allies,” Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina wrote on social media, adding that the move would benefit China and Russia. “It’s great for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, [Chinese President] Xi [Jinping] and other adversaries who want to see Nato divided.”
Other Republicans said Trump’s ambition to annex Greenland was threatening to undermine the Nato alliance – to which both the US and Denmark belong – in a moment of growing tension between the US and European allies.
“Respect for the sovereignty of the people of Greenland should be non-negotiable,” Senator Lisa Murkowski, the co-chair of the Senate Arctic Caucus, said in a statement.
Trump has argued the US must own the territory to better compete with China and Russia in the Arctic, and has vowed to take it “one way or another”.
On Tuesday, the US president downplayed concerns that the issue was hurting Nato when asked by the BBC if he was willing to see the decades-old security alliance collapse as a consequence of his push for the territory. Trump reiterated his view that ownership of Greenland was critical for US and global security.
“We need [Greenland] for national security and even world security,” he said.
BBC
Follow Ghanaian Times WhatsApp Channel today. https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
🌍 Trusted News. Real Stories. Anytime, Anywhere.
✅ Join our WhatsApp Channel now! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
