The White House is declining to rule out the use of military force in connection with President Trump’s interest in acquiring Greenland.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told key lawmakers on Monday that President Trump prefers to purchase the vast Arctic territory from Denmark rather than invade it, according to officials cited by The New York Times. However, that same day, Trump reportedly asked aides for an updated plan on how the United States could “acquire” Greenland. On Tuesday, the White House issued a statement saying the president has not ruled out the use of the U.S. military to achieve that goal.
“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,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, according to the Associated Press. “The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. military is always an option at the commander in chief’s disposal.”
Leaders of six NATO countries—Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland—joined Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Tuesday in an unusually direct rebuke. In a joint statement, they said Arctic security must be handled “collectively” and in accordance with United Nations principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. “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.” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also voiced support for Denmark.
Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Leaders in both Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly emphasized that the island is not for sale.
On Monday, Frederiksen warned that any U.S. military action against Greenland would severely damage the NATO alliance. President Trump, who has spoken about acquiring Greenland since his first term and has also suggested taking control of Canada, has described the island as strategically critical to U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere and the Arctic.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday that an invasion of Greenland is “not something that anybody is contemplating seriously,” according to The Hill. The Republican leader added that he would prefer a negotiated agreement to expand U.S. business operations in Greenland. “If there’s something there that could be mutually worked out, obviously it’s of interest to national security and the Arctic,” he said.
Earlier Tuesday, White House aide Stephen Miller questioned Denmark’s claim to Greenland and stated, “Nobody’s going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland.”