The White House is refusing to rule out a military invasion of Greenland. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told key lawmakers Monday that Trump wants to purchase the vast Arctic territory from Denmark, not invade it, officials tell the New York Times reports. But on the same day, Trump asked aides for an updated plan to "acquire" Greenland. On Tuesday the White House issued a statement saying he has not ruled out using the US 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, per the AP. "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."
The leaders of six NATO countries—Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland—joined Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in an unusually direct rebuke Tuesday. Security in the Arctic, they said in a joint statement, must be handled "collectively" and in line with UN principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. "Greenland belongs to its people," they said. "It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland." Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also expressed support. Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Leaders in Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly stressed that Greenland is not for sale.
On Monday, Frederiksen warned that a US military move against Greenland would shatter the NATO alliance. Trump, who has talked about acquiring Greenland since his first term and has also mused about taking over Canada, has described the island as vital to US 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," the Hill reports. The Republican added that he would like to see a deal worked out for expanded US 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 said, "Nobody's going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland."
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