White House: US examining 'a range of options' including military to take Greenland

The White House says President Donald Trump and his advisers are looking into “a range of options” in an effort to acquire Greenland and that using the US military to do so is “always an option”.

"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 in a statement on Tuesday.

"The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal. 

“And of course, utilizing the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal,” she added, despite the island already hosting a US military base.

The statement comes after Trump said on Monday that Greenland’s annexation was imminent, insisting he wanted the Arctic territory “right now.”

His remarks have already raised alarm in Denmark, which is responsible for Greenland’s defense, especially given Washington’s recent military aggression against Venezuela, including the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

In response, the leaders of France, Germany, Britain and several other countries joined Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, on Tuesday in calling on Washington to respect Danish sovereignty, while stressing that Arctic security is a key priority for NATO, which includes both the US and Greenland.

“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 Kingdom of Denmark – including Greenland – is part of NATO,” they said in a joint statement.

“These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them. The United States is an essential partner in this endeavor, as a NATO ally and through the defense agreement between the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States of 1951. Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland,” it further stressed.

Frederiksen warned that a US attack on a NATO ally would mean the “end” of the military alliance and “post-second world war security,” calling it the end of “everything.”

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also urged Trump to abandon his “fantasies about annexation,” branding US rhetoric “completely and utterly unacceptable” and stressing that “Enough is enough.”

Trump renewed his push for a takeover after the overnight kidnapping of Maduro by US forces, saying he needed Greenland “very badly,” a move that sharply escalated tensions.

Denmark, Greenland leaders urge Trump to halt ‘nonsensical’ threats to seize Greenland

Greenland and Denmark call on US President Donald Trump to stop making statements suggesting the United States should take control of Greenland.

Greenland has repeatedly said it does not want to be part of the US, and even within the US the idea is unpopular, as only seven percent of Americans support a military seizure.

However, senior officials doubled down, with White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller claiming that Denmark lacks a right to the territory and insisted that “nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland,” while his wife posted a US flag over a map of Greenland captioned “SOON.”

Behind closed doors, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly told lawmakers the administration would prefer to buy Greenland rather than invade it, even as Denmark and Greenland sought an “urgent” meeting to challenge US claims about Chinese and Russian influence.

It remains unclear whether Rubio was trying to calm lawmakers, but the Trump administration has long indicated it prefers to pressure Denmark into relinquishing control of Greenland, even as US and European officials say there is no evidence the White House is preparing a military invasion.

Danish officials rejected Trump’s remarks, with Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen saying, “We do not share this image that Greenland is plastered with Chinese investments … nor that there are Chinese warships up and down along Greenland.”

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, for his part, dismissed claims that Denmark had added only “one more dog sled.”

European leaders condemn Trump’s expansionist threat for Greenland annexation

European leaders have issued a joint statement rejecting US President Donald Trump’s renewed threats to annex Greenland.

While some US Republicans tried to downplay the threat, Democrats warned it was real, with Senator Ruben Gallego proposing a ban on funding military action and slamming Trump for wanting Greenland for a “giant island with his name on it.”

“He wouldn’t think twice about putting our troops in danger if it makes him feel big and strong. The US military is not a toy,” Gallego warned.

Trump claims that the US needs control of Greenland to secure the Arctic against what he alleges to be Russia and China’s influence, while also calling for expanded US government and corporate access to the island’s critical mineral resources. 

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