Rubio Confirms Trump's Serious Interest in Greenland Purchase

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's interest in buying Greenland is "not a joke," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview on Thursday, adding that acquiring Greenland was in U.S. national interest and needs to be solved.

Trump has expressed interest in making Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, a part of the U.S. since his reelection in November. He hasn't ruled out using military or economic power to persuade Denmark to hand it over.

Rubio told Sirius XM’s The Megyn Kelly Show that Trump wants to buy Greenland and had not ruled out military coercion to acquire it so as not to take leverage off the table.

"This is not a joke," Rubio said.

"This is not about acquiring land for the purpose of acquiring land. This is in our national interest and it needs to be solved."

Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede, who has stepped up a push for independence, has repeatedly said the island is not for sale and that it is up to its people to decide their future.

Rubio in the interview said the Arctic was going to become critical for shipping lanes, adding that the United States needs to be able to defend that and warning that U.S. rival China may seek to develop its presence.

Asked if the U.S. would own Greenland in four years, Rubio said: "Obviously that's the president's priority and he has made that point ... We're not in a position yet to discuss exactly how we'll proceed tactically. What I think you can rest assured of is that four years from now, our interest in the Arctic will be more secure."

(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Daniel Wallis)