Last weekend, Trump stated that the United States "needs" Greenland for security reasons, prompting a reaction from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who warned that any attack by the U.S. could lead to the destruction of NATO.
On Tuesday, the White House confirmed: "The President and his team are considering various options to achieve this important foreign policy goal, and the use of armed forces always remains in the Commander-in-Chief's arsenal."
Since its inception, NATO has obligated its members to assist each other in the event of external threats.
On the same day, six European allies expressed support for Denmark.
“Greenland belongs to its people, and only Denmark and Greenland can make decisions regarding their relations,” said a joint statement from the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Denmark.
The leaders also emphasized that they are as interested in security in the Arctic as the U.S. is, and that this can only be achieved within NATO, "collectively."
They called for adherence to the principles of the UN Charter, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen supported this statement and called for “respectful dialogue.”
“Dialogue must be conducted with respect, taking into account that the status of Greenland is defined by international law and the principle of territorial integrity,” Nielsen added.
Meanwhile, the question of Greenland's future has become relevant again after the recent U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, when elite forces captured President Nicolás Maduro.
The day after this incident, Katie Miller, the wife of one of Trump's senior aides, posted on social media a map of Greenland in the colors of the American flag with the note "COMING SOON."
On Monday, her husband, Stephen Miller, emphasized that “the official position of the U.S. government is that Greenland should become part of the U.S.”
In an interview with CNN, Miller repeatedly responded to questions about the possibility of using force to annex Greenland: “No one would dare to start a war with the U.S. over the fate of Greenland.”
An anonymous senior U.S. official told Reuters that among the options being considered are both a direct purchase of Greenland and an agreement on free association.
A State Department representative, in response to a BBC inquiry, noted that the U.S. “aims to create strong trade relations that benefit both Americans and the people of Greenland.”
“Our adversaries are becoming increasingly active in the Arctic, which raises concerns for the United States, Denmark, and our NATO allies,” the representative stated.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted in a closed briefing on Monday that the Trump administration does not plan military intervention in Greenland, but the purchase of this territory from Denmark remains on the agenda, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Previously, Greenland and Denmark had already requested a meeting with Rubio to discuss American claims to the island.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen emphasized the importance of talking with the head of American diplomacy to resolve “some misunderstandings.”
Republican Senator Eric Schmitt noted in an interview with the BBC that the issue of national security is at the center of discussions.
“Right now, I think they are just negotiating,” he said. “I hope Europe understands that a strong U.S. is a benefit for all of Western civilization.”
During his first term, Trump had already raised the issue of purchasing Greenland as a strategic center for the U.S. in the Arctic, calling it “a big real estate deal” in 2019.
Russia and China are showing increasing interest in Greenland, which has significant reserves of rare earth elements, and the melting ice is opening new trade routes.
In March, Trump stated that the United States “will do whatever it takes” to establish control over this territory.
During congressional hearings last summer, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked whether the Pentagon plans to take Greenland by force if necessary, to which he replied that they “have plans for any eventuality.”
Greenland, with a population of about 57,000 people, has extensive self-governing rights; however, defense and foreign policy have been under Denmark's control since 1979.
Although many residents of Greenland advocate for independence, polls show that the majority oppose joining the U.S., where there is already a military base.
Morgan Angadju, a 27-year-old Inuit from Ilulissat, expressed his feelings about this: “It was terrible to hear the leader of the free world talk about Denmark and Greenland as something that can be claimed.”
“We are Greenlanders. Kalaallit Nunaat means the land of the Greenlanders,” he added.
He also expressed concern about what might happen in the future and wondered if the Prime Minister of Greenland might meet the same fate as Maduro, or even if there might be a U.S. invasion of their country.
