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US President Donald Trump has been discussing a “range of options” to acquire Greenland, including the possible use of the US military, the White House has confirmed, escalating tensions with European allies.
In a statement to the BBC, the White House said acquiring Greenland was a “national security priority” for the United States.
The remarks came after Trump reiterated over the weekend that the US “needed” Greenland for security reasons, despite the island being a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, a fellow Nato member.
Europe Rallies Behind Denmark
The White House statement was issued just hours after European leaders publicly backed Denmark, whose Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that any US attack on Greenland would effectively mark the end of Nato.
On Tuesday, the White House said:
“The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the US military is always an option at the Commander-in-Chief’s disposal.”
Six European allies — the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Denmark — issued a joint statement rejecting US claims.
“Greenland belongs to its people, and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations,” the leaders said.
They stressed that Arctic security should be handled collectively through Nato, while calling for respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and international law.
Greenland Calls for Respectful Dialogue
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the European show of support and urged calm.
“The dialogue must take place with respect for the fact that Greenland’s status is rooted in international law and the principle of territorial integrity,” he said.
US Signals Mixed Messages
The renewed focus on Greenland comes shortly after the US military operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, an event that has heightened global unease over Washington’s foreign policy direction.
Fueling controversy, Katie Miller, wife of senior Trump aide Stephen Miller, shared a map of Greenland colored like the US flag with the word “SOON” on social media.
Stephen Miller later said it was “the formal position of the US government that Greenland should be part of the United States.”
Asked whether force could be ruled out, he said:
“Nobody’s going to fight the US over the future of Greenland.”
However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly told lawmakers that Washington does not plan to invade Greenland, but prefers to purchase the territory from Denmark, according to The Wall Street Journal.
A senior US official told Reuters that options include either an outright purchase or a Compact of Free Association with Greenland.
Strategic Importance of Greenland
Trump first floated the idea of acquiring Greenland during his first term, calling it in 2019 “a large real estate deal.”
Interest in the Arctic has grown as melting ice opens new shipping routes, and Greenland’s rare earth mineral depositsdraw attention from Russia and China. The US already maintains a military base on the island.
Greenland has a population of about 57,000 and has enjoyed extensive self-rule since 1979, though defence and foreign policy remain under Denmark’s control.
Greenlanders Voice Fear and Opposition
Despite widespread support for eventual independence from Denmark, polls show strong opposition among Greenlanders to becoming part of the US.
Morgan Angaju, a 27-year-old Inuit resident of Ilulissat, said the situation has been deeply unsettling.
“It’s terrifying to hear the leader of the free world talk about us like something to be claimed,” he told the BBC.
“We are already claimed by the Greenlandic people. Kalaallit Nunaat means the land of the Greenlandic people.”
He added that many fear what could happen next, including the possibility of US military action.
Source: bbc.com
