WASHINGTON — Less than two weeks into his new role as America’s top diplomat, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is making clear that the U.S. purchasing Greenland, something President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for, is a serious goal the administration is pursuing, referring to it as a “priority” of the new commander in chief. 

“Those conversations are going to happen, but this is not a joke,” Rubio told host Megyn Kelly in an interview on SiriusXM, adding, “This is in our national interests, and it needs to be solved.”

What You Need To Know

  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio is making clear that the U.S. purchasing Greenland, something President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for, is a serious goal the administration is pursuing, referring to it a a “priority” of the new commander in chief
  • “Those conversations are going to happen, but this is not a joke,” Rubio told host Megyn Kelly in an interview on SiriusXM, adding “This is in our national interests, and it needs to be solved"
  • Rubio made the case that there are real national security concerns involving China for the U.S. if it does not own the territory, pointing to energy and the region's shipping lanes
  • Since his election in November, Trump has repeatedly doubled down on his desire – also pursued during his first term in the White House without success – to buy Greenland, soemthing that has been met with swift pushback from local leaders of the territory

Asked later in the interview if he believes the U.S. will in fact own the Danish territory at the end of Trump’s second four years in office, Rubio responded, “We’ll see.” 

“I mean, obviously, that’s the president’s priority, and he’s made that point,” he continued.

Rubio, who was unanimously confirmed by the Senate and sworn in as secretary of state one day after Trump’s inauguration, made the case that there are national security concerns involving China for the U.S. if it does not own the territory. He pointed specifically to the shipping lanes in the Arctic region where Greenland is positioned and noted they are critical for Trump’s energy goals in particular. 

“The Arctic has some of the most valuable shipping lanes in the world. As some of the ice is melting, it’s become more and more navigable,” Rubio said of the country, which is 80% covered by an ice sheet. “We need to be able to defend that.”

The former Florida senator went on to argue that it is “just a matter of time” before China looks to establish a presence in the area that could be used strategically in a time of conflict. He noted Denmark would rely on the U.S. as a fellow NATO ally to defend Greenland should China look to use force. 

“And that is completely unacceptable to the national security of the world and to ... the security of the world and the national security of the United States,” he said. 

Since his election in November, Trump has repeatedly doubled down on his desire — also pursued during his first term in the White House without success — to buy Greenland. The world’s largest island, positioned between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, became a semiautonomous territory of Denmark after receiving home rule in 1979.  

The president's comments about Greenland have been met with swift and stern pushback from leaders of the territory, who have sought to make clear that the island is not for sale. 

Trump’s calls for U.S. control appeared to reach a new level when he told reporters about two weeks before his inauguration that he would not rule out the use of military force to take it — or the Panama Canal, which Trump has also expressed a desire to obtain.  

In this week’s interview, Rubio chalked up the president’s military force comment to him being a businessman and not wanting to show his cards before a negotiation gets underway in earnest.