The White House said Tuesday that President Donald Trump and his team are discussing “a range of options” to acquire Greenland, including military force. The remarks quickly drew sharp reactions in Europe, where Denmark and other leaders warned against any attempt to take the Danish territory.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump has “made it well known” that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority and argued it is important for deterring adversaries in the Arctic. Leavitt also said the U.S. military is “always an option” available to the commander in chief as the administration weighs how to pursue that objective.
White House statement raises stakes
The White House comments came amid growing concern among European allies about what they described as an unprecedented threat to the postwar security order. European leaders said a U.S. move to seize Greenland would violate NATO’s core principles, according to Politico.
ABC News reported that the rhetoric escalated after Trump’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller argued the United States has a right to Greenland and did not rule out the use of American military force to seize it. In an interview described by ABC News, Miller said “The United States should have Greenland as part of the United States,” while avoiding repeated questions about whether military force would be used.
Miller also questioned Denmark’s claim over Greenland, asking what right Denmark has to assert control over the territory and referring to Greenland as a “colony of Denmark,” ABC News reported. He argued that because the United States is the leading power in NATO, Greenland “should be part of the United States” to secure the Arctic region for NATO and its interests, according to the same report.
Bipartisan pushback in Washington
ABC News reported that the White House rhetoric triggered bipartisan criticism on Capitol Hill. The outlet cited a joint statement from Rep. Blake Moore, a Republican from Utah, and Rep. Steny Hoyer, a Democrat from Maryland, calling the rhetoric “needlessly dangerous.”
ABC News also reported that Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona said he would introduce a war powers resolution focused on Greenland. In social media posts cited by ABC News, Gallego wrote, “We must stop him before he invades another country on a whim,” and added, “No more forever wars.”
Denmark and allies warn of NATO rupture
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned of severe consequences if the United States attacked Greenland, ABC News reported. Frederiksen said that if the United States attacked another NATO country militarily, “everything stops,” including NATO and the security framework she said has existed since the end of the Second World War.
Frederiksen said Trump “should be taken seriously” when he says he wants Greenland and added: “We will not accept a situation where we and Greenland are threatened in this way,” according to ABC News. ABC News reported that the Danish government published a statement Tuesday from the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Denmark saying they would continue to defend sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of borders.
That statement said Greenland belongs to its people and that only Denmark and Greenland should decide matters concerning Denmark and Greenland, ABC News reported. The same statement said Arctic security must be achieved collectively with NATO allies, including the United States, and noted that NATO has made clear the Arctic is a priority and that European allies are stepping up.
Trump and aides cite Arctic security
ABC News reported that Trump told The Atlantic, “We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defense.” The outlet also reported Trump saying, “We need Greenland from a national security situation,” and separately, “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and the European Union needs us to have it.”
ABC News reported that the Pentagon already operates a base in Greenland and has deployed about 200 troops to enforce Arctic security under a long-standing defense agreement. In the CNN interview described by ABC News, Miller said, “Nobody’s going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland,” and added that the world is “governed by strength,” “force,” and “power.”
ABC News also reported that Katie Miller, Stephen Miller’s wife and a former Trump administration official, posted an image on social media showing the American flag over an outline of Greenland with the caption “SOON.”
Venezuela operation adds to wider tensions
Both Politico and ABC News described heightened tensions among European allies following a U.S. operation in Caracas. ABC News reported that the United States carried out a joint military and law enforcement operation Saturday to capture Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, noting both were indicted in federal court on drug and other charges.
Politico reported that after the operation to remove Maduro from power, Trump repeatedly asserted the United States has the prerogative to do what it deems necessary to advance its security and economic interests across the Western Hemisphere, and the report also referenced threats involving Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, and Greenland. ABC News similarly reported that after the Venezuela operation, Trump warned other nations in the Western Hemisphere about U.S. military power, listing Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, and Greenland.
Outreach and envoy messaging
ABC News reported that Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the European leaders’ solidarity and urged the United States to maintain a “respectful dialogue.” The outlet also reported that Greenland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Research, Vivian Motzfeldt, said on Facebook that the governments of Denmark and Greenland had approached Secretary of State Marco Rubio for a meeting in the “near future,” and that earlier requests had not been successful.
ABC News reported that a U.S. special envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry—who is also governor of Louisiana—tried to soften the message and suggested the administration wants an “independent Greenland with economic ties and trade opportunities for the United States.” In the same report, Landry dismissed concerns that a possible invasion would violate international law, saying, “When has the United States engaged in imperialism? Never,” while arguing Denmark has Greenland “because of imperialism.”
ABC News also quoted Atlantic Council analyst and nonresident senior fellow Justina Budginaite-Froehly saying Europe’s problem is not that Washington sees Greenland as strategic, but that Europe has “largely failed to do so itself,” adding that complacency is dangerous. Budginaite-Froehly said “Greenland is not for sale,” but also warned it should not be left exposed to a power vacuum, according to ABC News.
