The Daily Beast (USA) reported on March 31 that Seth Moulton – a Massachusetts congressman and member of the Armed Services Committee in the US House of Representatives – recently warned that President Donald Trump could target three countries for takeover as he stepped up calls for the US to control Greenland as an international security issue.
US Congressman Seth Moulton (bottom left) speculates on President Donald Trump’s territorial ambitions on CNN. Screenshot of CNN Newsroom
During an appearance on CNN Newsroom, Massachusetts Congressman Moulton agreed that there is a US national security debate being raised due to Greenland’s geopolitical position relative to Russia.
However, Mr Moulton said the US should work with the autonomous Danish territory as an ally, adding that foreign policy under President Trump was putting the US at risk.
“The way America has addressed serious national security concerns for decades is by enlisting the help of our [American] allies,” Moulton said. “We don’t have the forces to deploy around the globe.”
But the US congressman also warned that Greenland may be just the “tip of the iceberg” in President Trump’s plans.
“Does he want to take over Poland, because they share a border with Russia? Does he want to take over India, because they share a border with China? Does he want to take over Mongolia in between [Russia and China]?” Mr. Moulton asked. “That’s not how America works.”
The Democratic congressman charged that President Trump’s rhetoric was damaging important international relationships.
“Our greatest strength is our allies. And when our allies can’t trust us, they won’t fight for us. They won’t stand up to our enemies,” Moulton said. “And all of that makes America much less safe.”
According to the US news site Mediaite, in a press conference on March 28, President Trump told reporters that it was “not a problem” that the US “must have” Greenland.
“We [the US] need Greenland [because it] is so important to international security. We have to have Greenland. The question is not what do you think we can do without it? We can’t,” Trump said, citing Chinese and Russian ships in Arctic waterways as a threat to peace that Denmark is not prepared to handle.
“We’re not talking about peace for America. We’re talking about world peace,” Trump said.
