John Bolton on why Greenland is important to America: NPR

While President Trump and one of his first national security advisers, John Bolton, have rarely agreed publicly recently, one question is whether the US should buy Greenland from Denmark. .

In Bolton’s view, making Greenland a US territory or federation aids security interests of “critical importance” to the US and its allies in dodging potential threats from enemies such as Russia and China. You can do it.

Trump fired Bolton, who previously served as the United Nations US ambassador in 2019. That same year, the president first spoke about his ambitions for Greenland. And Bolton told NPR that he believes the president has ruined the possibility of negotiating a semi-automatic territory by failing to speak personally with Danish leaders first about the possibility. Ta.

Bolton argues there are other paths that allow the US and allies to dodge the geopolitical threats of the Arctic, but he says Trump is like “playground bully” in his approach He accused him of behaving.

In response to Bolton’s remarks, White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes told NPR.

“President Trump’s first US policy has already paid dividends, particularly in the Western Hemisphere. Both Mexico and Canada agree to send troops and personnel to the border to stop the flow of fentanyl from China. , Maduro has released six American hostages from Venezuela, and Columbia has agreed to illegally repatriate flights for American citizens.

Everything considered host Juana Summers told Bolton about his views on Trump’s policies towards Greenland and Denmark.

This interview has been compiled for length and clarity.

Interview highlights

Juana Summers: Clearly, Greenland’s potential is a sensitive topic for many. In the past, he spoke about President Trump’s plans to negotiate with Denmark to buy Greenland during his first term. And you said he effectively blows up the possibility that it could happen by airing those plans publicly before he personally nurtures them with Danish leaders. So, what path do you think you have to go through to achieve the kinds of strategic security goals that exist in the region right now?

John Bolton: Well, I would be happy if everyone started putting it behind them and didn’t discuss it publicly. It is clearly sensitive to both the Danish government and the local government of Greenland. And by issuing an outrageous statement that includes refusing to rule out the use of force, Trump is reaching in his own way. He makes it difficult to reach a solution that everyone might agree with. Because in a democratic society, when you act like a playground bully, you put other Democratic leaders in a difficult position. It makes it much more difficult for them to think about how they can find mutually acceptable. So this was the case in 2019. And, as you know, we have lost almost six years and he is approaching doing it again. I think rational people can turn that back on. But this discussion was a waste of time.

Summers: As you know, Greenland will probably need to vote for independence from Denmark first to become US territory. And, as you know, the Greenlander Prime Minister has repeatedly said that the Greenlanders don’t want to be Danish and American. So, ambassador, in your diplomatic expertise, I would like to ask you, the US is clearly in the hands of Greenland citizens and leaders who have strong feelings about their autonomy, their independence. How can you make a claim?

Bolton: Well, even our sovereignty, there is an arrangement that gives considerable independence to all local issues. They could become the US federation, like Puerto Rico. And beyond that, there are other things, such as the defense of the 1951 Greenland Treaty. This is a bilateral treaty between the United States and Denmark. You can work on that. And even if Greenland becomes independent, I certainly hope that if they decide that, they will become members of NATO. It’s hard to talk about all of this at risk, but there are many options. And I think it would be much easier to achieve things if we could go back to equal keel here and stop thinking about Trump casinos in Greenland’s capital.

Summer: You mentioned casinos, so I’d like to ask you about it. Trump said he wants to potentially place casinos in Greenland’s capital. And in 2019, he posted a tweet there promising not to build Trump’s fortune. For your own knowledge, did he say, on record, he might want to put a casino in Nuku?

Bolton: Well, it was about this kind of boy who put up a picture of the casino there (for example) and said, “But I’m not going to do that.” I don’t think it’s popular in Greenland, so do that. And this is a very serious problem. This is another indication of issues that have a great national security implications. Trump hasn’t seen the gravity of what he is dealing with and the harm that can be caused by these kinds of playground-level statements.

Summer: Regardless of what we can tell about the president’s motivation, many people who have seen him in the first few weeks of his appointment have had to say about Canada and Canada. When I took it along with the things I think about the current rhetoric in Greenland, the Panama Canal and Gaza take over a new era of American imperialism and other places of sovereignty It shows that. So, I’m curious to see what you would say to that part of the discourse and whether you think security concerns should outweigh any concerns about independence and colonialism?

Bolton: Well, I think America is about the most imperialist major power in human history. I don’t think our records are entirely clear about that, but they differ greatly from almost all the other great forces in the course of recorded history. And it’s most inaccurate to say that Trump has created a new doctrine or that he has a new policy. We will implement our policies in ways that we understand traditionally. And I don’t think that all of these things, he mentioned, but at some point, in every statement, would form a consistent strategy. And in fact, the way he presents them makes it even more difficult for him and the United States to achieve the goals he says he wants. You know, people say that’s how he negotiates in business. And I just ask most businessmen, regarding your customers and suppliers, do you slap them publicly and frequently? Will it help your business or will it hurt it? It appears Trump hasn’t gotten points there.