As talks intensify over a potential U.S. acquisition of the island of Greenland in the Trump administration, Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana called a plan to take the island nation by force "weapons-grade stupid."
Talking to reporters after Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed senators on foreign policy matters, Kennedy said, "To invade Greenland and attack its sovereignty, a fellow NATO country, would be weapons-grade stupid. President Trump is not weapons-grade stupid. Nor is Marco Rubio."
@cnn Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) said on Wednesday that invading Greenland would be “weapons-grade stupid.”
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In a more formal interview with CNN, Kennedy stated, "Even a modestly intelligent ninth grader knows that to invade Greenland would be weapons-grade stupid. Now, President Trump is not weapons-grade stupid, nor is Marco Rubio. They do not plan to invade Greenland. That doesn't mean they're not going to seek a legal formal partnership with Greenland as to their and our national defense."
His comments landed as the White House has refused to take military action in Greenland off the table. In recent days, officials have argued that Russia and China are expanding their Arctic footprint and that Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, is strategically important to U.S. defense. The island hosts the U.S. Pituffik Space Base, a key outpost for missile warning and space surveillance.
The administration's stance has triggered a wave of pushback from Europe and inside Washington, including from some Republicans who say any threat to seize Greenland would put the United States on a collision course with Denmark, a NATO ally that considers it part of its territory.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has publicly pushed back, saying Greenland is not for sale and urging Washington to stop issuing threats toward a long-time ally. Greenland's prime minister has also rejected the idea of annexation.
Greenland's leaders and much of its civil society have repeatedly rejected the idea that the territory is up for sale. This week, Greenland's top labor union chief, Jess Berthelsen, said "Greenland is not for sale," a rebuke that underscored how the takeover talk is being received on the island.
Reuters reported that officials have explored multiple approaches, including financial incentives for Greenlanders, potential use of military force, and legal arrangements such as a Compact of Free Association model, a framework the U.S. uses with several Pacific island nations.
International leaders are warning that a coercive approach would be destabilizing for the transatlantic alliance. On Friday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said a U.S. military move on Greenland should be ruled out, arguing it would have serious consequences for NATO and would not be in anyone's interest.
