The White House confirmed on Tuesday that President Donald Trump is discussing "a range of options" to acquire Greenland. Officials explicitly stated that utilizing the US military is "always an option at the commander-in-chief's disposal."
The statement marks an escalation in Trump's push to acquire the Arctic territory, which he has framed as a national security priority. The White House stated: «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.»
Trump told reporters on Sunday that Greenland is «so strategic right now» and claimed it «is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place.»
European leaders unite in opposition
Leaders from Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the UK issued a joint statement in direct response to the US position. They declared: «Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.»
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that any US military action to seize Greenland would lead to the end of NATO. She stated: «The US has no right to annex any of the three nations in the Danish kingdom.»
France is now developing a response plan with partners to counter a potential US move to take over Greenland, according to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.
Contradictory signals from Washington
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told CNN on Monday: «The US is the power of Nato. For the US to secure the Arctic region, to protect and defend Nato and Nato interests, obviously Greenland should be part of the US [...] Nobody's going to fight the US over the future of Greenland.»
However, House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters on Wednesday that «nobody» is seriously considering military action. He insisted: «We are not at war with Greenland. We have no intention of being at war, we have no reason to be at war with Greenland.»
Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly told lawmakers this week that the administration would prefer to buy Greenland from Denmark. He clarified on Wednesday: «If the president identifies a threat to the national security of the United States, every president retains the option to address it through military means.»
Greenland's status and strategic importance
Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark with a population of approximately 58,000. The US already maintains a permanent military presence of over 100 personnel at the Pituffik space base in northwest Greenland, which the US established during World War Two.
Denmark significantly increased Arctic defense spending in the past year. The country's defense of Greenland relies primarily on limited air and naval assets.
Opinion polls show that 85% of Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the US, with only 6% in favor. Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen called Trump's designs fantasies and urged: «No more pressure. No more insinuations. No more fantasies of annexation.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
