Rand Paul declares: “I will do everything in my power to stop any form of military takeover in Greenland”
Republican Senator Rand Paul said Wednesday that he opposed any U.S. military action in the country. Greenland as the White House says explore all options for acquiring territory.
“It’s not going to happen on my watch,” Paul said on “CBS Mornings” about military action in Greenland. “I will do everything to stop any form of military takeover of Greenland.”
The Kentucky senator, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has long opposed U.S. offensive military action abroad. He voted to advance a war powers resolutionwhich would have limited the president’s authority to pursue a military campaign in Venezuela, but Senate Republicans blocked the measure. The Trump administration has not previously sought congressional approval launch last week’s strikes. The Senate is expected to introduce a war powers resolution again this week.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said of President Trump’s interest in Greenland that he and his team are “discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy objective and, of course, the use of the United States military is always an option available to the commander in chief.”
Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory in the Kingdom of Denmark. A lawmaker and a source familiar with the discussions said Secretary of State Marco Rubio told members of Congress during a briefing on Tuesday that Mr. Trump would buy Greenland and not take it by force.
Paul raised no objection to the purchase of Greenland, pointing out that the United States had acquired territories in the past.
“Half the United States came to us through the Louisiana Purchase,” Paul noted. “Alaska came to us through a purchase. But you didn’t get those purchases like any deal or diplomacy by insulting your opponent. You get there by actually trying to please and get your opponent to agree, because that should be done voluntarily.”
Paul said this type of action in Greenland should be initiated by a vote of more than 50,000 citizens declaring independence from Denmark, adding: “I think the people of Greenland are inclined to do this.”
That should also be followed by “some sort of offering of something that would make it better to be part of the United States,” he continued.
When Mr Trump announced the strikes in Venezuela, Paul suggested it marked the start of war. “The Don-Roe Doctrine”, which raises questions about the expansion into other territories, including Greenland and Canada.
Paul said he had “never thought about” taking Greenland, but “now that it’s been brought up, if you want to do it, you don’t do it by hitting people in the same way as you did with Canada.”
Mr. Trump called Canada the “51st state” and imposed punitive tariffs against the United States’ northern neighbor, increasing them to 35% in August, although much of the goods are exempt because they are covered by the 2020 U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal.
Paul said he was consistent in his opposition to military action abroad and he stressed the importance of maintaining Congress’s constitutional authority to declare war.
“I think it’s an important debate to have,” Paul said. “That doesn’t mean I have anything against President Trump. It doesn’t mean I don’t even like the outcome of (former Venezuelan President Nicolás) Maduro leaving office… But I think the constitutional debate is important.”
