Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), President-elect Trump’s decide for nationwide safety adviser, mentioned Wednesday that Greenland is necessary for nationwide safety, leaning into Trump’s expressed curiosity in buying the island territory.
In an interview Wednesday with Fox Information’s Jesse Watters, Waltz was requested to “tell us what the deal is” with Greenland, as evaluations on the potential enlargement have been blended.
“Properly, look, this isn’t nearly Greenland. That is in regards to the Arctic. You will have Russia that’s attempting to change into king of the Arctic with 60-plus icebreakers, a few of ‘em nuclear-powered. [Do you know] what number of we have now, Jesse? We’ve got two, and one simply caught on hearth,” the Florida Republican mentioned.
“This is about critical minerals,” he added. “This is about natural resources. This is about, as the polar ice caps pull back, the Chinese are now cranking out icebreakers and pushing up there as well. So, it’s oil and gas. It’s our national security. It’s critical minerals.”
Trump has advised that taking up Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory managed by Denmark, could be a “great idea.” The president-elect’s son, Donald Trump Jr., additionally made a visit to the island earlier this week, with a supply telling The Hill that the go to was “for a quick daylong trip to shoot some fun video content for podcasting.”
“Don Jr. and my Reps landing in Greenland. The reception has been great. They, and the Free World, need safety, security, strength, and PEACE!” Trump wrote Tuesday in a Truth Social post, which featured video of his son’s plane touching down while surrounded by frosty terrain. “This is a deal that must happen. MAGA. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!”
Within the latest interview, Waltz additionally famous “Denmark can be a great ally, but you can’t treat Greenland, which they have operational control over, as some kind of backwater.”
“It’s in the Western Hemisphere. Multiple presidents have tried to bring it into our sphere,” he added.
Many have been skeptical about whether or not such a deal is feasible. Denmark officers have pushed again, saying the area is just not up on the market.
Trump has additionally not dominated out ceding territory by army pressure — together with reacquiring the Panama Canal. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and different leaders have warned him in regards to the menace, arguing it’s a long-standing precept that “borders must not be moved by force.”
The Hill has reached out to Denmark’s Ministry of International Affairs for remark.
