President Donald Trump has remained steadfast in keeping open the option to take Greenland by force.
"No comment," Trump told NBC News in a brief phone interview Monday when asked about the force option.
"Europe ought to focus on the war with Russia and Ukraine because, frankly, you see what that's gotten them.
"That's what Europe should focus on — not Greenland."
Trump has ratcheted up his rhetoric on annexing Greenland from Denmark's home rule for U.S. and NATO's security interests this weekend, vowing escalating tariffs on all trade with the eight NATO allies participating in the ongoing "Arctic Endurance" military exercises to defend against possible invasion.
Trump said Saturday he would impose 10% tariffs on NATO allies Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the U.K., and Finland starting Feb. 1, increasing them to 25% by June 1, in response to their opposition to U.S. control of Greenland.
The eight European countries responded with a joint statement Sunday, condemning the U.S. threat and reaffirming their shared commitment to Arctic security.
The tariffs are no idle threat but real action against the anti-American exercises, according to Trump, who told NBC News that "I will, 100%" follow through on the tariffs until a deal is reached on Greenland."
"NATO has been telling Denmark, for 20 years, that 'you have to get the Russian threat away from Greenland,'" Trump wrote Sunday night on Truth Social.
"Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it. Now it is time, and it will be done!!! President Donald J. Trump."
While that appears to be a measure of resolve, some Republicans say Trump has "no authority" to take Greenland by force without congressional approval.
"The president's not wrong that there's a national security issue with respect to Greenland," Mike Turner, a key member of the Gang of Eight as chair of the House Intelligence Committee, told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday.
"There are national security issues there in the Arctic itself and with respect to Greenland.
"But there certainly is no authority that the president has to use military force to seize territory from a NATO country. And certainly this is problematic that the president has made this statement and has caused, you know, tension among the alliance."
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, former chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, warned taking Greenland by force is tantamount to declaring war on NATO, which grants Article 5 protections to member nations.
"If he wants to purchase Greenland, that's one thing," McCaul told ABC News' "This Week With George Stephanopoulos."
"For him to militarily invade would turn Article 5 of NATO on its very head, [and] in essence, put us at war with NATO itself."
"I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America," Trump wrote in a message to Norway Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store on Sunday night.
"Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a 'right of ownership' anyway?
"There are no written documents, it's only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also.
"I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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