US discusses options for acquiring Greenland, including use of military

US President Donald Trump discussed “a range of options” to acquire Greenland, including the use of the military, the White House said.

The White House told the BBC that acquiring Greenland – a semi-autonomous region of fellow NATO member Denmark – was a “national security priority”.

The statement comes hours after European leaders issued a joint statement rallying behind Denmark, which opposes Trump’s ambitions for the Arctic island.

Trump repeated this weekend that the United States “needs” Greenland for security reasons, prompting Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to warn that any US attack would mean the end of NATO.

The White House said Tuesday: “The President and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy objective, and of course, reliance on the United States military is always an option available to the Commander in Chief.”

NATO is a transatlantic military group where allies are supposed to help each other in the event of external attacks.

On Tuesday, six European allies expressed their support for Denmark.

“Greenland belongs to its people, and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relationship,” the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark said in a joint statement.

Stressing that they were as concerned as the United States about Arctic security, European signatories to the joint declaration said this must be achieved by NATO allies, including the United States, “collectively.”

They also called for “respecting the principles of the United Nations Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders.”

Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the statement and called for “respectful dialogue.”

“The dialogue must take place with respect for the fact that Greenland’s status is anchored in international law and the principle of territorial integrity,” Nielsen said.

The question of the future of Greenland resurfaced following the American military intervention in Venezuela, during which elite troops captured the country’s president Nicolas Maduro and took him to face drug and weapons charges in New York.

A day after that raid, Katie Miller – the wife of one of Trump’s top aides – posted on social media a map of Greenland in the colors of the American flag, next to the word “SOON.”

On Monday, her husband, Stephen Miller, said the “official position of the U.S. government is that Greenland should be part of the United States.”

When asked repeatedly in an interview with CNN whether America would rule out the use of force to annex it, Miller responded: “No one is going to fight the United States over the future of Greenland.”

Greenland, which has 57,000 inhabitants, has enjoyed broad autonomy since 1979, even if defense and foreign policy remain in the hands of the Danes.

While most Greenlanders favor eventual independence from Denmark, opinion polls show overwhelming opposition to joining the United States, which already has a military base on the island.

Morgan Angaju, 27, an Inuit living in Ilulissat in the west of the country, told the BBC it had been “terrifying to hear the leader of the free world make fun of Denmark and Greenland and talk about us as if we were something to be claimed.”

“We are already claimed by the Greenlandic people. Kalaallit Nunaat means the land of the Greenlandic people,” Morgan said.

He added that he was worried about what happens next – wondering if Greenland’s prime minister could suffer the same fate as Maduro – or even about the US invasion of our country.

An unnamed senior U.S. official told the Reuters news agency that U.S. options included purchasing Greenland outright or forming a free association agreement with the territory.

In response, a State Department spokesperson told the BBC on Tuesday that the United States “is eager to build lasting trade relationships that benefit Americans and the people of Greenland.”

“Our common adversaries are increasingly active in the Arctic. This is a concern shared by the United States, the Kingdom of Denmark and NATO allies,” the spokesperson said.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also told lawmakers in a confidential briefing at the Capitol on Monday that the Trump administration had no plans to invade Greenland, but had mentioned buying it from Denmark, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Greenland and Denmark previously said they had requested to meet with Rubio quickly to discuss U.S. claims on the island.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said speaking with America’s top diplomat should resolve “some misunderstandings.”

Senator Eric Schmitt, Republican of Missouri, highlighted the national security aspect when he spoke to the BBC on Tuesday.

“I think they’re just in talks right now,” he said. “I hope Europe understands that a strong America is a good thing, it’s a good thing for Western civilization.”

Trump floated his idea of ​​acquiring Greenland as a US strategic hub in the Arctic during his first presidential term, saying in 2019: “It’s basically a big real estate deal.”

Russia and China are increasingly interested in the island, which has untapped rare earth deposits, as melting ice opens up the possibility of new trade routes.

In March, Trump said America would “go as far as necessary” to take control of the territory.

During a congressional hearing last summer, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked if the Pentagon planned to take Greenland by force if necessary, and he responded that they “have plans for any eventuality.”