Trump 'leaves all Greenland options on table', Putin meeting underway

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News Websites
12 Jan 2025 20:01

Trump's designated national security adviser Mike Waltz discusses the issue with Greenland and the potential meeting between Trump and Putin.

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Rep. Mike Waltz during a House Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing on Oversight of the US Secret Service and assassination attempt of President Donald Trump, Monday, July 22, 2024, in Washington (AP)

President-elect Donald Trump is considering all possibilities regarding Greenland, according to his National Security Advisor designate, Mike Waltz, who addressed the topic on Sunday when questioned about the potential use of force.

"Well, President Trump is always going to leave all options on the table, but there are a number of things we can enter into to amend those existing agreements," Waltz declared.

Trump, who will take office on January 20, declared last month that owning Greenland was "an absolute necessity" for the United States. His remark followed the appointment of a new US ambassador to Denmark. Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede responded firmly, emphasizing that the island is not for sale.

Moreover, Denmark’s government has proposed purchasing two new Arctic inspection vessels and increasing dog sled patrols to strengthen its military presence in Greenland.

The proposal also includes upgrading the airport in Kangerlussuaq, a former US military base in western Greenland, to accommodate F-35 fighter jets, as reported by broadcasters DR and TV2 on Friday.

Waltz says meeting with Putin 'in progress'

Waltz also stated that efforts to arrange a meeting between US President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are currently in progress.

US President-elect Donald Trump announced on Friday that a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is being arranged, but provided no timeline for when it will take place.

"He wants to meet and we are setting it up," he said in remarks at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

In parallel, TASS quoted Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as saying that the US didn't formally request a meeting.

Trump has committed to negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine soon after taking office on January 20 and has expressed doubts about the continued US military and financial support for Kiev.