US secretary of state to meet with Danish officials next week amid Greenland tensions

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that he will have a meeting with Danish officials next week, after Denmark requested talks amid rising tensions following President Donald Trump’s threats to Greenland.

"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," Rubio told reporters on Capitol Hill when asked about the possibility of military intervention in Greenland.

He added that Trump’s interest in Greenland “is not new,” noting that the president raised the issue during his first term and that previous US administrations have also examined the matter of how to acquire Greenland.

This came as the Trump administration says it is weighing its options to acquire Greenland, including possible military measures, according to a statement from the White House.

"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," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

A day after the US military operation in Venezuela that captured President Nicolas Maduro, Trump on Sunday renewed his call for a takeover of Greenland for "national security" interests.

“We need Greenland, from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it,” he had said when asked about any potential US action against Greenland.

Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and has repeatedly rejected proposals suggesting any transfer of sovereignty to the US.

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has urged Trump to "stop the threats."