CGTN January 8th (Reporter: Niu Zhanlin) According to CCTV News, on Wednesday local time (January 7th), US Secretary of State Rubio stated that the US will hold talks with Denmark on issues related to Greenland next week.
Rubio made these remarks on Capitol Hill, as the Trump administration has recently significantly increased its rhetoric about "taking over Greenland." Greenland is the world's largest island and a self-governing territory of Denmark, with a high degree of autonomy.
When asked why the US had not responded to Denmark's request for talks on the island, Rubio replied, "I will meet with them next week."
A journalist further asked whether Rubio would rule out the option of using US military force to take over Greenland.
Rubio said, "I am not here today to discuss the issue of Denmark or military intervention." He then reiterated that he would meet with Danish officials next week. "At that time, we will have a dialogue with them, but I will not make any further comments today."
Earlier on Tuesday evening, Danish Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stated that due to "the serious security situation we are currently facing," Denmark will invest 8.8 billion Danish kroner (approximately 1.38 billion US dollars) to strengthen defense infrastructure on Greenland.
Poulsen mentioned in a statement: "We hope the United States will also recognize this and be willing to cooperate on common security interests in the Arctic. Denmark hopes to continue being an ally of the United States, but this requires both sides to show mutual respect and willingness to cooperate."
Hours before Poulsen made these remarks, the White House stated that President Trump and his advisors are considering "multiple options" to achieve the goal of acquiring Greenland, including the possibility of military action.
White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said on Tuesday: "President Trump has repeatedly clearly stated that acquiring Greenland is a top priority for US national security and is crucial for countering our adversaries in the Arctic region."
She added: "The President and his team are discussing multiple options to achieve this important foreign policy goal, and as Commander-in-Chief, the use of the US military is always one of the options available to the President."
On Wednesday, Leavitt reiterated that the matter of purchasing Greenland is under discussion, and the possibility of seizing it by force is not ruled out, with all options being considered.
In addition to the issues related to Greenland, Rubio also stated that the US has developed a "three-step plan" regarding Venezuela, first of all, stabilizing the country's situation; the second phase is ensuring that US oil companies can enter the Venezuelan market during the recovery period; and finally, overseeing the country's political transition.
Democrats were shocked by the plan, calling it lacking in details and effectively equivalent to plundering oil, and questioning why these contents cannot be discussed at public hearings.
Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy called the plan "extremely crazy." "They are talking about forcibly seizing Venezuela's oil with a gun at the head, using it as a bargaining chip to control every aspect of the country for an indefinite period of time. The scale and absurdity of this plan are shocking," he said.
(CGTN Niu Zhanlin)
Original: toutiao.com/article/7592689626008142386/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.