Senate Republicans are mounting strong opposition to President Trump’s repeated threats to seize Greenland, warning that such a move would undermine NATO and strengthen Russia in its war against Ukraine.
Senators Thom Tillis (N.C.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) plan to travel to Copenhagen Friday to assure Danish leaders of congressional resistance, with Tillis saying, “The actual execution of anything that would involve a taking of a sovereign territory that is part of a sovereign nation… would be met with pretty substantial opposition in Congress.”
Other Republicans, including Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine), echoed concerns over the risks of militarily or financially forcing Greenland’s transfer, while Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell warned on the Senate floor that following through would “incinerate the hard-won trust of loyal allies.” Danish and Greenlandic officials have likewise resisted Trump’s demands, forming a working group to “explore if we can find a common way forward,” with Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt stressing, “That does not mean we want to be owned by the United States.” Meanwhile, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed only 17 percent of Americans support a U.S. takeover of Greenland, with 66 percent concerned about damage to NATO and relations with European allies.