U.S. Rep. Randy Fine introduced legislation to annex Greenland and admit it as a state.
The Atlantic Coast Republican introduced the Greenland Annexation and Statehood Act as President Donald Trump’s administration increasingly demands that the Arctic island nation, a Danish territory, be ceded to the United States.
Fine, who was endorsed by Trump before winning his seat in Congress last year, said the security interests of the United States in the Arctic made the annexation of the territory necessary.
“Greenland is not a distant outpost we can afford to ignore — it is a vital national security asset,” Fine said. “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.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed Congress this month that he intends to meet with Denmark about acquiring the land, according to CBS News.
Fine said now would be an important moment to acquire Greenland, in the wake of the U.S. deposing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The communist leader and the regime still in place there maintained economic relationships with Russia and China.
His bill would authorize Trump to take steps to acquire Greenland, including negotiating a deal with Denmark. It also calls for the administration to report to Congress on any ways needed to expedite congressional approval of the arrangement.
The bill foresees going beyond just making the island a territory like Puerto Rico or Guam. It seeks to grant Greenland statehood, similar to Alaska, the only state that borders the Arctic Circle.
“For too long, American leadership stood by while our adversaries chipped away at our geopolitical dominance,” Fine said. “My bill will protect our homeland, secure our economic future, and ensure that America — not China or Russia — sets the rules in the Arctic. That is what American leadership and strength look like.”
