US senators introduce bill to prevent Trump from seizing Greenland

A pair of bipartisan senators introduced a bill Tuesday to block the US from occupying or seizing the territories of NATO allies amid repeated statements from President Donald Trump to acquire Greenland for national security reasons.

The legislation -- the NATO Unity Protection Act -- was introduced by Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

The bill would prohibit the use of Pentagon or State Department funds to blockade, occupy, annex, carry out military operations against, or otherwise assert control over the sovereign territory of a NATO member state without their consent.

"Any suggestion that the United States might use its power to seize or control the territory of a NATO ally would directly undermine the alliance that keeps Americans safe and plays into the hands of our adversaries," Shaheen said in a statement.

"This bill sends a clear message that recent rhetoric around Greenland deeply undermines America's own national security interests and faces bipartisan opposition in Congress," she added.

Murkowski said the "notion that America would use our vast resources against our allies is deeply troubling and must be wholly rejected by Congress in statute."

Trump said Sunday that the US must "acquire" Greenland to prevent a takeover of the island by Russia or China. He previously described owning Greenland as an "absolute necessity" for US economic security, likening it to a "large real estate deal."

Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, has attracted US interest due to its strategic location and vast mineral resources.

Denmark and Greenland have rejected proposals to sell the territory, reaffirming Danish sovereignty over the island.