US President Donald Trump has welcomed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to Washington amid concerns over his pivot towards Russia. The pair discussed Greenland, with Trump again advocating US annexation for security reasons.
ADVERTISEMENTThe meeting took place on the same day that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in principle with the US proposal for a ceasefire in its war against Ukraine.
Trump and Rutte did not schedule a press conference but did speak with reporters in the Oval Office at the start of their meeting. One reporter asked about Trump's vision for the possible annexation of Greenland.
"I think it will happen," Trump said. "I'm sitting with a man that can be very instrumental," he added, pointing to Rutte with his hand. Trump continued to elaborate on the matter:
"You know, Mark, it is very important for international security because we have a lot of our favourite players cruising around the coast, and we have to be careful. We will be talking to you."
Rutte tries to avoid involving NATO, Trump insists
Rutte intervened in Trump's speech by saying, "When it comes to Greenland, if it joins the US or not, I will leave that outside of me in this discussion because I don't want to drag NATO into that."
Rutte continued by saying that he agreed on how important the area is.
"We know that the Chinese are using this route and the Russians are using this route. And we know that we lack icebreakers. There are seven Arctic countries in the region that are actually working on this matter under US leadership, that is very important and we have to be there," he stressed.
Trump mentioned that the US has already ordered 48 icebreakers for this purpose.
"Russia has 40 icebreakers. We have to have protection. We have to make a deal on that. And Denmark is not able to do that. Denmark is very far away and really has nothing to do....They landed there 200 years ago or something, and they say they have rights to it. I don't know if that's true; I don't think it is, actually," the US president said.
Trump reminded the audience that his country already has several bases and many soldiers in Greenland.
"Maybe you will see more and more soldiers going there, I don't know," he concluded.
The president has been regularly demanding that European countries spend more money on their own security, and on the ongoing costs of supporting Ukraine against Russia's full-scale invasion.