By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE:The United Kingdom (UK) and Germany are drawing up plans aimed at preventing US President Donald Trump from seizing Greenland, IOL News reported on Monday quoting the Bloomberg and The Telegraph.

It has been reported that, Trump has long argued that the United States should control the Danish self-governing island, citing its strategic position and the need to counter the influence of Russia and China in the Arctic.

But his stance has put him at loggerheads with several European NATO members, who have rallied behind Denmark and as a result, Berlin and London are seeking to ramp up NATO’s presence in the region to undercut Trump’s security argument.

NATO stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, an intergovernmental military alliance between 32 member states, thirty (30) in Europe and two (2) in North America.

On another note, a German proposal involves a joint NATO mission dubbed ‘Arctic Sentry’, Bloomberg reported, citing officials familiar with the discussions. 

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is expected to discuss the issue with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week.

“I want to discuss on my trip how we can best bear this responsibility in NATO,” Wadephul told journalists on Sunday.

But according to The Telegraph, British officials have also met with their counterparts from Germany and France in recent days to draw up plans for a possible NATO mission in Greenland. 

“The proposals were discussed at a NATO meeting on Thursday, the paper said. Options suggested by London include military exercises, intelligence sharing, targeted defense spending, and a full-scale troop deployment to Greenland, The Telegraph added, noting that the planning remains at an early stage.

Trump stated on Saturday that the US would acquire Greenland “whether they like it or not,” warning that he would do this “the hard way” if necessary. While media outlets have said the US is considering purchasing the island and offering its residents financial incentives, the White House has not ruled out the use of force,” reads the IOL report in part.