Republican Representative Randy Fine of Florida.
US bill seeks to annex Greenland as 51st state amid Trump threats
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- Republican congressman proposes bill to make Greenland the 51st US state amid Trump’s takeover threats.
- Denmark and Greenland firmly reject US claims, warning of a geopolitical crisis.
A Republican congressman from Florida has introduced legislation to make Greenland the 51st US state, following President Donald Trump’s controversial threat to seize the autonomous Danish territory.
Representative Randy Fine said Monday that his bill would allow Trump “to take any necessary steps to annex or acquire Greenland.” The proposal also requires the administration to report to Congress on changes to federal law needed to make the Arctic island a US state.
“Greenland is not a remote outpost we can ignore,” Fine said, calling it “vital to national security.”
Trump escalates tensions
Trump recently alarmed Danish and Greenlandic authorities by stating that the United States would acquire Greenland “somehow,” citing the island’s rare earth minerals and strategic importance. He warned that Russia or China might move first if the US does not act.
Denmark and Greenland push back
Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said the island “does not want to be US property, will not be governed by the US, and will not be part of it.” He emphasized Greenland’s preference to remain within the Kingdom of Denmark and aligned with NATO and the European Union.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen added that the issue concerns more than Greenland or Denmark, stressing that borders cannot be changed by force or by “buying” other peoples. She noted that small countries should not live in fear of larger powers.
Germany also weighed in, with its foreign minister stating that “the future of Greenland is decided by Greenland and Denmark.”
The bill comes ahead of a planned meeting between the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland and US Vice President at the White House. Both governments insisted that cooperation, not ownership, should guide relations with Washington.
