The White House has acknowledged that US President Donald Trump is considering multiple approaches to bring Greenland under US control, with the White House openly stating that military force has not been ruled out and framing the Arctic island as vital to American national security.
Citing the White House, the BBC reported that Trump and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilising the US military is always an option at the Commander-in-Chief’s disposal.”
The remarks have heightened diplomatic strain, coming shortly after several European governments issued a collective statement reaffirming Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland. The territory is self-governing but remains part of the Danish kingdom and, like Denmark, is a member of Nato.
Over the weekend, Trump repeated his view that the United States “needed” Greenland for security purposes.
In response, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen cautioned that any American attack on the island would effectively dismantle Nato, whose members are committed to mutual defence.
On Tuesday, the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark released a joint declaration stating, “Greenland belongs to its people, and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations.”
While acknowledging shared concerns with Washington about security in the Arctic, the leaders stressed that such issues must be handled jointly within Nato.
They also urged respect for “upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders”.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the European stance, calling for measured dialogue and saying, “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.”
The renewed attention on Greenland follows a recent US military operation in Venezuela, in which American special forces captured President Nicolás Maduro and transported him to New York to face drugs and weapons charges.
One day after that operation, Katie Miller, the wife of senior Trump aide Stephen Miller, shared an image of Greenland coloured like the US flag on social media, accompanied by the word “SOON”.
Stephen Miller later told CNN that it was “the formal position of the US government that Greenland should be part of the US”, asserting that “Nobody’s going to fight the US over the future of Greenland.” He repeatedly avoided ruling out the use of force.
However, according to the Wall Street Journal, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers in a classified briefing that the administration was not planning an invasion but was instead interested in purchasing Greenland from Denmark.
A senior US official told Reuters that Washington was weighing either a direct purchase or a Compact of Free Association with Greenland.
Denmark and Greenland have since requested an urgent meeting with Rubio. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said talks with the US should help resolve “certain misunderstandings”.
Republican Senator Eric Schmitt told the BBC that discussions were continuing, adding, “I think they’re just in talks right now. My hope is that Europe would understand that a strong America is good – it’s good for Western civilisation.”
Trump first raised the idea of acquiring Greenland during his initial term in office, calling it in 2019 “Essentially it’s a large real estate deal.”
Interest in the island has since grown due to shrinking Arctic ice, new shipping routes and Greenland’s largely untapped rare earth resources, alongside increasing Russian and Chinese involvement in the region.
In March, Trump said the US would “go as far as we have to go” to secure control of Greenland. During a congressional hearing last summer, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon “have plans for any contingency” when asked about the possibility of taking the territory by force.
Greenland, which has a population of around 57,000, has exercised broad self-governance since 1979, although Denmark still oversees defence and foreign policy. While support exists for eventual independence, opinion polls indicate strong resistance among Greenlanders to becoming part of the United States.
