Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, has gone on the airwaves and social media calling a U.S. annexation of Greenland the “craziest idea I’ve ever heard of.”
McFaul spoke with Stephanie Ruhle on Tuesday’s “11th Hour” on MS NOW about the topic, per Mediaite and how it could affect NATO.
“If the United States takes Greenland by force, would that not be one NATO country going after another?” Ruhle asked. “And if that takes place, wouldn’t that be the end of the NATO alliance? That feels monumental to me.”
“I can’t stress enough how completely insane this idea is on so many levels,” McFaul replied. “First of all, there is no national security interest that we need to seize Greenland. They have not made the case. We can have as many soldiers there as we want. We have bases there. I worked in the government. I know how we’ve used Greenland before. We can do that through negotiation.”
McFaul’s statements are in response to President Donald Trump’s stance regarding Greenland after Saturday’s invasion of Venezuela and subsequent U.S. capture of President Nicolas Maduro.
The president has also has threatened Colombia, Cuba, Iran, and Mexico.
rhetoric has become increasingly bellicose in recent days, and has threatened against Colombia, Cuba, Iran, and Mexico.
On Tuesday, the White House said when it comes to acquiring Greenland, “utilizing the U.S. military is always an option.”
Greenland, with a population of about 56,000 people, is an autonomous territory and belongs to Denmark, a NATO ally of the U.S.
McFaul spoke of the damage an annexation would do.
“Not only would it blow up NATO, it would alienate the United States from the entire world, from the democratic world, the free world, the autocratic world,” he said. “And then we will empower countries like China. ‘Well, if they can take Greenland, of course we can take Taiwan.’”
“It’s the craziest idea I’ve ever heard of,” he added.
Later Tuesday, McFaul reiterated his stance on X.
“The American people need health care, not Greenland!” he wrote. “Invading or buying Greenland is a giant waste of money.”
“It’s a Trump vanity project, just like the White House ballroom. Trying to do so could also blow up NATO. Stop this nonsense,” he wrote.
