The White House said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump is exploring “a range of options” to acquire Greenland, including potential use of the U.S. military, prompting sharp pushback from European leaders who affirmed the Arctic territory’s sovereignty under Denmark.
“President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement, per CNN.
“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.”
The comments followed Trump’s renewed push for control of the 836,000-square-mile island, strategically positioned between the U.S., Europe, and Russia, with its oil, gas, and rare-earth mineral deposits.
On Sunday, aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.”
The remarks came days after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller downplayed the need for force, telling CNN that nobody is going to fight the United States militarily “over the future of Greenland,” while questioning Denmark’s claim to the territory.
European response was swift. Leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Britain, and Denmark issued a joint statement asserting that Greenland belongs to its people and that Arctic security should involve collective NATO efforts, including with the U.S.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, at a Paris news conference, reiterated his Monday position: “Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark must determine the future of Greenland and nobody else,” The Guardian reported.
He addressed a query on the reliability of U.S. commitments to Ukraine amid threats to a NATO ally’s territory.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen urged taking Trump’s intentions “seriously,” warning that a U.S. military move could effectively end NATO. Greenland, which has rebuffed U.S. overtures, requested a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Trump’s interest dates back to his first term, with a post-2024 election purchase offer again rejected. In a Mar-a-Lago news conference nearly a year ago, he did not rule out military action.
During a speech to Congress early last year, Trump said of Greenland: “I think we’re going to get it. One way or the other, we’re going to get it,” CNN reported.