Former British ambassador to the United States (US) Lord Mandelson said today that US President Donald Trump would not forcibly occupy the Danish semi-autonomous province of Greenland.
In an interview with the British television network BBC, Mandelson said he admired Trump's direct approach in political discussions, but added that the US president is not stupid and that advisers would remind him that taking over Greenland could pose a "real danger" to US national interests.
During Trump's second term, increasing attention has been paid to the way the Danish territory is governed, and Trump said on Saturday that the US must "own" Greenland to prevent Russia and China from doing so.
Denmark and Greenland state that the territory is not for sale, and Denmark warns that military action would mean the end of the NATO military alliance.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will speak with Danish officials about Greenland next week, the BBC reports.
"He (Trump) is not going to do that (military action to take Greenland). I don't know, but I'm giving my best opinion as someone who has watched him from a pretty good distance," Mandelson added.
Sparsely populated, Greenland's location between North America and the Arctic makes it ideal for missile early warning systems and for tracking ships in the region.
Trump has repeatedly said that Greenland is vital to US national security, claiming without evidence that it is "surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships."
DON'T MISS IT
Bonus video:
