Trump considering military options to acquire Greenland

The White House said Tuesday that President Donald Trump is considering multiple options to bring Greenland under US control, including the potential use of military force, further straining relations with Denmark and raising concerns across Europe.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said acquiring the autonomous Danish territory is a “national security priority” for the United States, citing concerns over Russia and China’s growing influence in the Arctic.

“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,” Leavitt told AFP.

The comments come amid renewed US focus on Greenland following recent American military action in Venezuela and growing strategic interest in the Arctic, where melting ice is opening new shipping routes and exposing rare earth mineral reserves. Washington already operates a military base in Greenland, home to about 57,000 people.

Greenland and Denmark have both requested urgent talks with the United States to ease tensions. Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt said repeated requests to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had so far gone unanswered. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said such a meeting could resolve “misunderstandings.”

Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen reiterated that the island is not for sale and that only Greenlanders have the right to decide their future.

European leaders, including those of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain, issued a joint statement backing Denmark and stressing respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. They warned that Arctic security is vital to transatlantic stability and urged a collective NATO approach.

French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer sought to downplay the immediate risk, though both reaffirmed support for Denmark’s sovereignty.

Trump, who first floated the idea of annexing Greenland during his first term, hinted that a decision could come within “about two months,” once the situation in Venezuela stabilizes. Danish officials have rejected US claims that Copenhagen cannot secure the island, noting that Denmark has allocated nearly 90 billion kroner ($14 billion) in defense spending over the past year.