Donald Trump and his advisers are examining “a range of options” to acquire Greenland, with the White House saying the use of the US military is “always an option”.
In a statement on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president views Greenland as a national security priority for the United States, citing the need to deter adversaries in the Arctic. She said Trump and his team were discussing multiple approaches to achieve this goal.
The remarks prompted a swift response from European leaders. France, Germany, Britain and several other countries issued a joint statement alongside Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, urging Washington to respect Greenland’s sovereignty.
“Greenland belongs to its people,” the statement said. “It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.” The leaders added that Arctic security remained a core priority for NATO, of which the United States, Denmark and Greenland are all members.
Greenland’s government said it had requested an “urgent” meeting with the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. The meeting would include Greenland’s foreign affairs minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, and Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, to address what it described as US claims about the territory.
Rasmussen told Danish broadcaster DR that such talks would allow Denmark and Greenland to challenge assertions made by Trump, including claims of extensive Russian and Chinese activity around the island. He said Greenland was not heavily dominated by Chinese investments, nor were Chinese warships operating along its coast.
Speaking after an emergency meeting of Denmark’s foreign policy committee and defence ministry, Rasmussen said the sole agenda item had been relations with the United States. Denmark’s defence minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, said Denmark had spent billions strengthening security in Greenland, rejecting Trump’s suggestion that it had done little more than add “one more dog sledge”.
Frederiksen has previously warned that a US attack on a Nato ally would mark the end of the military alliance and the post-Second World War security order. She said such a move would mean the end of “everything”.
Trump renewed his interest in Greenland following the arrest of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, in a US-led operation over the weekend. The following day, Trump said the United States needed Greenland “very badly”, escalating tensions with Denmark, Greenland and European allies.
Greenland has repeatedly said it does not wish to become part of the United States. The idea also lacks domestic support in America, where one poll found only 7% of respondents backing a military seizure of the island.
In an earlier CNN interview, the White House deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, questioned Denmark’s right to the territory, describing Greenland as a former Danish colony. Although Greenland governs most of its internal affairs, Denmark retains control over foreign and security policy.
Miller suggested that military force would not be necessary, arguing that no country would fight the United States over Greenland. The interview followed a social media post by his wife, the rightwing podcaster Katie Miller, showing a US flag draped over a map of Greenland with the caption “SOON”.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Rubio told lawmakers in a private briefing that the administration would prefer to buy Greenland from Denmark rather than use force.
Greenland, home to about 56,000 people, sits between the United States and Russia and is increasingly seen as strategically important as climate change opens new Arctic routes and competition intensifies. The US already operates a military base on the island.
European leaders had previously downplayed Trump’s interest in Greenland, often treating it lightly. However, the arrest of Maduro has sharpened concerns.
At a press conference in Paris, the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, was asked about the value of US commitments to NATO and Ukraine while Washington discussed seizing allied territory. Starmer said Greenland’s future must be decided by Greenland and Denmark alone.
In Washington, senior Republicans sought to play down the likelihood of military action. The Senate majority leader, John Thune, told Politico that such a move was not being seriously contemplated.
Ryan Zinke, a Republican congressman and former interior secretary, said Trump rarely ruled out options but noted that Greenland was a Nato partner.
Democrats, however, warned that the threats should not be dismissed. Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona has introduced legislation to bar funding for any US military action against Greenland.
In a post on X, Gallego accused Trump of wanting the island for personal prestige. “He wouldn’t think twice about putting our troops in danger if it makes him feel big and strong,” he wrote. “The US military is not a toy.”
