A US lawmaker, Randy Fine, has introduced a bill in the House of Representatives calling on Congress to approve the annexation of Greenland and its admission as part of the United States.
The Republican lawmaker, representing Florida, introduced the bill, titled the “Greenland Annexation and Statehood Act,” on Monday.
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According to Mr Fine, control over Greenland would give the US influence over key Arctic shipping lanes and enhance its defence architecture, warning that failure to act could leave the region open to adversarial powers.
In a post on X, he declared that the bill allows the president to take the necessary measures to annex Greenland.
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He insisted that the island is not a distant outpost that can be ignored, as US adversaries are also trying to establish a foothold there.
Mr Fine described the legislation as a “landmark” and as a necessary choice to safeguard America’s strategic security interests in the Arctic amid intensifying geopolitical competition with China and Russia.
The bill, published online by Mr Fine, also noted that “As global competition intensifies in the Arctic, the United States cannot afford to allow adversarial powers to gain influence over one of the world’s most strategically important regions.
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“Whoever controls Greenland controls key Arctic shipping lanes and the security architecture protecting the United States. America cannot leave that future in the hands of regimes that despise our values and seek to undermine our security. ”
It stated that, “The Greenland Annexation and Statehood Act authorises the President to take whatever steps necessary to annex or acquire Greenland as a territory of the United States. The legislation also requires the submission of a full report to Congress outlining the changes to federal law required to admit Greenland to become an official US state, ultimately.”
The introduction comes against the backdrop of renewed public debate over US ambitions in the Arctic.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his intention to acquire Greenland, an autonomous self-governing territory of Denmark.
Mr Trump’s comments, including suggestions that the US should not rule out military options, have drawn intense international criticism and reaffirmations of Greenland’s sovereignty by world leaders.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mr Trump cited security concerns as justification for the proposed annexation of the island.
He said Denmark is not doing enough to protect the island.
But his recent comment on the semi-autonomous island, which came after the US military attacked Venezuela and abducted President Nicholas Maduro, disturbed world leaders.
European leaders have rallied behind Denmark, pledging support against a forceful annexation of the island.
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Meanwhile, the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, said an attack on Greenland would mean the end of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
“One should take the American president seriously when he says that he wants Greenland.
However, the US Homeland Security Advisor, Stephen Miller, insisted that “it is the formal position of the US government that Greenland should be part of the US.
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