White House says using US military ‘always an option’ for acquiring Greenland | First Thing

Trump demands Venezuela open up to US oil companies or risk more military action. Plus, justice department has released less than 1% of Epstein files Don’t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up here Good morning. Donald Trump and his advisers are looking at “a range of options” in an effort to acquire Greenland , noting in a White House statement on Tuesday that using the US military to do so is “always an option”. How are the US’s European allies responding? In a show of solidarity on Tuesday, the leaders of France, Germany, the UK and other countries issued a joint statement with the prime minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, urging the US to respect its sovereignty. They said Arctic security was a top priority for Nato, a defense alliance that includes the US and Greenland. “Greenland belongs to its people,” the statement said. What would a deal of this kind signify? Top Venezuelan officials have called Maduro’s capture a kidnapping and accused the US of trying to steal the country’s vast oil reserves. However, Tuesday’s agreement is a strong sign that the government is responding to Trump’s demand that it open up to US oil companies or risk more military intervention. Continue reading...