Senator Kim Condemns Efforts to Threaten US Ally, Pushes for Benefits of Deeper Relationship with Denmark in Hearing

WASHINGTON D.C.– During a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation hearing,Senator Andy Kimcondemned the Trump administration’s discussion of using military force and economic coercion to take over Greenland, an American ally. He pointed to the damaging hypocrisy of U.S. standing against adversaries like Russia for their use of military force to infringe on sovereignty in Ukraine. Senator Kim focused on the significant benefits that would instead come from deepening America’s strategic partnership with Denmark, rather than an unwelcomed acquisition of Greenland.
The hearing was entitled, ‘Nuuk and Cranny: Looking at the Arctic and Greenland’s Geostrategic Importance to U.S. Interests’ and featured Alexander Gray, Senior Fellow in National Security Affairs, American Foreign Policy Council; Anthony Marchese, Chairman, Texas Mineral Resources; Dr. Jennifer Mercer, Section Head for the Arctic Sciences Section at the Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation; and Dr. Rebecca Pincus, Director of Polar Institute, Wilson Center.
VIDEO OF QUESTION LINE
“Everything that we are saying in this room, we are all in agreement that there is strategic value in Greenland. We should be pushing forward on the ice breakers and so many other things that we should be doing, but I feel like we are getting in our own way by having this conversation about acquisition at a time when that is not even needed,”said Senator Kim.
In his question-line, Senator Kim cited polling that says 85% of Greenlanders say they are opposed to becoming a part of the U.S and that 46% view President Trump’s interest as a threat.
Senator Kim continued:“If we are trying to solidify our relationship with them, especially in some post-independence position, we are burning those bridges, and we are sowing a sense of distrust right now that I think would make it even harder for us to be able to achieve that later.”
Senator Kim is a member of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP); the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and the Special Committee on Aging. Before being elected to the U.S. Senate, Kim represented New Jersey’s Third Congressional District in the U.S. House and was a career public servant working in national security and diplomacy at the White House, State Department, and Pentagon.

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