Trump says US 'will always be there for NATO' as Greenland tensions rise
Trump has said taking over Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, is vital for his country's national security.
Donald Trump says America "will always be there for Nato, even if they won't be there for us" in a bizarre social media post as tensions over a potential Greenland invasion continue to grow.
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The US president took to his Truth Social Platform to slam the transatlantic security alliance, claiming Russia "would have all of Ukraine right now" if he was not in office.
He also took aim at Norway for not awarding him a noble peace prize, writing: "Remember, also I single-handedly ENDED 8 WARS, and Norway, a NATO member, foolishly chose not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize.
"But that doesn't matter! What does matter is that I saved Millions of Lives."
Read More: Trump 'wants deals not wars' and could reach Greenland agreement without force, former advisor says
His words come a day after the White House said it was not ruling out military intervention to acquire Greenland from NATO ally Denmark.
On Tuesday, Trump said he wants to buy Greenland but admitted using US troops to acquire the territory is an option.
In the wake of these continued threats, Sir Keir Starmer and his European counterparts vowed they would "not stop defending" Greenland's territorial integrity.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Wednesday that we would be meeting with officials from Denmark and Greenland next week.
Asked if Washington would take military intervention off the table, he said: "I'm not here to talk about Denmark or military intervention. I'll be meeting with them next week.
"We'll have those conversations with them then. But I don't have anything further to add to that."
He added that Trump's interest in acquiring Greenland "is not new" and he was "not the first US president" to look into it.
The Prime Minister and leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark called the US, as a Nato ally, an "essential partner" in defending Arctic security and stressed that Greenland "belongs to its people" in a joint statement.
The White House statement went on: "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.
"The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilising the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief's disposal."
Reports also suggested that forming a compact of free association with the island is an option being considered by President Trump.
The statement added that Trump is intent on acquiring the territory before the end of his term in 2029 and that the issue "is not going away" amid objections from other NATO leaders.
The new statement came are Mr Trump said the operation in Venezuela to remove President Nicolas Maduro proves the US has "the most powerful, most lethal, most sophisticated" military in the world.
Speaking at the House Republican Party (GOP) member retreat on Tuesday, the president warned "nobody can take us".
He said: "It's [the most] fearsome military on planet Earth, and it's not even close. You know, I've been saying it for a long time. Nobody can take us."
The US bombed Venezuela on Saturday before forces took Maduro and flew him to New York where he is facing drugs and weapons charges.
Speaking of the operation, Trump said: "They knew we were coming... the electricity for almost the entire country was turned off.
"That's when they knew there was a problem. There was no electricity... So we sort of got them a little by surprise, but it was a brilliant. It was brilliant tactically. It was an incredible thing."
One of Trump's senior aides said on Monday that nobody would mount a military fight against the US to defend Greenland.
Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that efforts to take over the territory by force would mean the end of the Nato military alliance.
Sir Keir and the other leaders said: "Nato has made clear that the Artic region is a priority and European allies are stepping up.
"We and many other allies have increased our presence, activities and investments, to keep the Arctic safe and to deter adversaries.
"The Kingdom of Denmark - including Greenland - is part of Nato.
"Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with Nato allies including the United States, by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders.
"These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them."