ROME, Jan 9 (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Friday she did not believe the United States would use military force to seize Greenland, warning that such a move would have grave consequences for NATO.
At her traditional New Year’s press conference, Meloni added that there was a need for a “serious and significant” NATO presence in the Arctic region, including Greenland.
“I continue not to believe in the hypothesis that the United States would launch a military action to take control of Greenland, an option I would clearly not support,” Meloni said.
“I believe it would not be in anyone’s interest. I think it would not even be in the interest of the United States of America, to be clear,” she added.
A weekend U.S. military operation that seized the leader of Venezuela rekindled concerns about U.S. intentions towards Greenland. The White House said on Tuesday that the U.S. was considering a range of options to acquire Greenland, including the use of military force.
Meloni, who is seen as one of U.S. President Donald Trump‘s closest allies in Europe, said it was “clear to everyone” that any U.S. move on Greenland would have a significant impact on NATO, adding this was the reason she did not think Washington would act on its threats.
However, she said it was important for NATO to boost its presence in the Arctic region, adding that she understood U.S. concerns for the need to prevent “excessive interference from other actors that could even be hostile”.
(Reporting by Gisedla Vagnoni and Giulia Segreti; Editing by Alvise Armellini and Crispian Balmer)
