The United States is discussing a range of options to acquire Greenland, including the possible use of military force, the White House has confirmed, escalating tensions with European allies.
In a statement to the BBC on Tuesday, the White House said acquiring Greenland a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark and a fellow NATO member is a “national security priority” for the administration of President Donald Trump.
“The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilising the US military is always an option at the Commander-in-Chief’s disposal,” the statement said.
The development comes amid growing diplomatic pushback from Europe.
Leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark issued a joint statement affirming Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland and stressing that any security concerns in the Arctic must be addressed collectively through NATO.
“Greenland belongs to its people, and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations,” the European leaders said, while calling for respect for international law, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had earlier warned that any US attack on Greenland would effectively spell the end of NATO. Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, welcomed the European support, urging “respectful dialogue” grounded in international law.
President Trump has repeatedly argued that the US “needs” Greenland for security reasons, citing growing Russian and Chinese interest in the Arctic, untapped rare earth minerals, and emerging trade routes due to melting ice.
The issue gained renewed attention following a recent US military operation in Venezuela, during which President Nicolás Maduro was seized and taken to the United States to face criminal charges.
Shortly after, social media posts by associates of senior Trump aides appeared to suggest Greenland could be next.
Stephen Miller, a senior White House aide, said it is the “formal position of the US government that Greenland should be part of the US,” declining to rule out the use of force.
However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly told lawmakers in a classified briefing that the administration does not plan to invade Greenland, though purchasing the territory remains an option.
A senior US official also told Reuters that Washington is considering either outright purchase or a Compact of Free Association with the island.
Greenland, with a population of about 57,000, has enjoyed extensive self-rule since 1979, though defence and foreign policy remain under Danish control.
While many Greenlanders support eventual independence from Denmark, opinion polls show strong opposition to becoming part of the United States.
“We are not something to be claimed,” said Morgan Angaju, a 27-year-old Inuit resident of Ilulissat. “Kalaallit Nunaat means the land of the Greenlandic people.”
The US already operates a military base on the island, but growing rhetoric from Washington has raised fears among Greenlanders and strained relations within NATO, as allies grapple with the implications of America’s renewed territorial ambitions.
