Denmark and Greenland seek talks with Rubio over U.S. interest in taking the island

"President Donald Trump has argued that the U.S. needs to control the world's largest island to ensure its own security in the face of rising threats from China and Russia in the Arctic. Denmark and Greenland are seeking a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio after the Trump administration doubled down on its intention to take over the strategic Arctic island, a Danish territory."

"Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned earlier this week that a U.S. takeover would amount to the end of the NATO military alliance. "The Nordics do not lightly make statements like this," Maria Martisiute, a defense analyst at the European Policy Centre think tank, told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "But it is Trump, whose very bombastic language bordering on direct threats and intimidation, is threatening the fact to another ally by saying 'I will control or annex the territory.'""

"The leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom joined Frederiksen in a statement Tuesday reaffirming that the mineral-rich island "belongs to its people." Their statement defended the sovereignty of Greenland, which is a self-governing territory of Denmark and thus part of NATO. This weekend's U.S. military action in Venezuela has heightened fears across Europe, and Trump and his advisers in recent days have reiterated the U.S. leader's desire to take over the island, which guards the Arctic and North Atlantic approaches to North America."

President Donald Trump argued that the United States needs control of Greenland to secure against rising Chinese and Russian influence in the Arctic. The White House said the U.S. military is always an option. Denmark and Greenland have requested a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio after Washington reiterated intentions toward the island. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned a takeover would amount to the end of the NATO military alliance. Several European leaders defended Greenland's sovereignty, calling the mineral-rich island the property of its people. Concerns rose after recent U.S. military action in Venezuela.

Read at Boston.com