White House says Greenland could be taken ‘utilizing the U.S. Military’
WASHINGTON — The White House indicated Tuesday that the U.S. military could potentially take action in Greenland, following President Trump’s renewed interest in acquiring the Danish-ruled island.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, as first reported by Reuters, that “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.”
Leavitt added, “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.” The president’s long-standing interest in Greenland resurfaced shortly after the U.S. operation on Saturday that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Katie Miller, a former Trump administration official and the wife of Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, posted a tweet hours after the operation showing a map of Greenland covered with the U.S. flag, prompting criticism from leaders in Copenhagen and Greenland. Responding to questions from reporters, President Trump said Sunday: “We’ll worry about Greenland in about two months. Let’s talk about Greenland in 20 days.”
He also emphasized the strategic importance of the island, saying, “Right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security. And Denmark is not gonna be able to do it, I can tell you. You know what Denmark did recently to boost up security in Greenland? They added one more dog sled.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly told members of Congress that a U.S. invasion of Greenland, which has about 57,000 residents, is not imminent, and that the administration’s preferred path is to purchase the island. The Wall Street Journal noted that Denmark previously sold the Danish West Indies—now the U.S. Virgin Islands—to Washington in 1917 for $25 million in gold.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned Monday that a military takeover would jeopardize the NATO alliance. “If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,” she said, including NATO security that has been in place since the end of World War II.
Greenlandic Premier Jens Frederik Nielsen called Miller’s tweet “disrespectful” and insisted, “Our country is not for sale.”
In a joint statement Tuesday, European leaders stressed that “Greenland belongs to its people” while underscoring the importance of Arctic security. Leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the UK, and Greenland wrote, “NATO has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European allies are stepping up. We and many other allies have increased our presence, activities, and investments to keep the Arctic safe and to deter adversaries.”
The statement continued: “Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies, including the United States, by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of borders. These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them. Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”
Officials in the Trump administration have also explored a less confrontational approach, supporting local independence in Greenland and negotiating a compact of free association that would allow the U.S. a role in foreign affairs and defense in exchange for financial assistance.
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