Danish Member of the European Parliament, Hendrik Dahl, has confessed that he believes the U.S. will, at some point, present an offer for Greenland that they simply cannot refuse .
Speaking to The Times Radio, Dahl told reporter Nick Wallis, “I think Denmark and Greenland will receive at some point in the future an offer they can’t refuse.” He added, “And if the offer is for Greenland to be independent, with a huge bonus and perhaps financial assistance from the United States, it’s actually up to the population of Greenland.
“Because, according to the Home Rule Act and the Constitution, if they want to leave the constitutional arrangement they are in, they can do so,” he added. The remarks come as President Donald Trump has expressed fresh interest in acquiring Greenland since his return to the Oval Office.
During a press briefing at the White House on Wednesday, Karoline Leavitt disclosed that the president was “actively” exploring ways to take control of the territory. “Well, that’s something that’s currently being actively discussed by the president and his national security team,” said Leavitt during her briefing.
“This is something that presidents dating back to the 1800s have said is advantageous for America’s national security,” said Leavitt. “The president has been very open and clear with all of you and with the world that he views it in the best interest of the United States to deter Russian and Chinese aggression in the Arctic region.”
The initial official bid from the U.S. to acquire Greenland can be traced back to 1867.
U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward, who orchestrated the Alaska Purchase from the Russian Empire, deemed the concept of a U.S. annexation of both Greenland and Iceland as “worthy of consideration.”
Robert J. Walker, a former Treasury secretary instrumental in the Alaska transaction, advocated for the U.S. to incorporate Greenland and Iceland into its territories.
“The reasons are political and commercial,” Walker penned, as reported by the U.S. State Department.
Walker further elaborated on the strategic value of Greenland: “The shores of Greenland, much more than those of any other country, are indented with deep bays, inlets, estuaries, and fiords, some of them possibly extending from the western to the eastern coast, presenting an immense shoreline, and furnishing most extensive and protected fishing grounds,”.
Earlier this week, the White House announced that the U.S. might potentially employ military means to seize Greenland. “President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region,” stated Leavitt.
“The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal,” she added. Nevertheless, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot revealed that U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio had assured him he had “ruled out the possibility of an invasion” of Greenland.
“I myself was on the phone yesterday with U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio … who confirmed that this was not the approach taken,” Barrot disclosed to France Inter Radio on Wednesday.