US President Donald Trump is discussing a range of options – including using military action – to acquire Greenland, according to the White House.
In a statement shared with ITV News, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “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.
“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.”
Earlier, Sir Keir Starmer and other European leaders issued a joint statement making it clear to Donald Trump that they “will not stop defending” Greenland’s sovereignty.
The prime minister and his counterparts from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Denmark said they and European allies are “stepping up” to protect the Arctic territory after the US president again threatened to annex it.
One of Trump’s top aides, Stephen Miller, said on Tuesday that “nobody’s going to fight the US over the future of Greenland” when asked by CNN if he could confirm America would rule out using force to achieve its aim.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said a US invasion of its semi-autonomous territory would spell the end of Nato – of which Denmark and the US are members – and insisted Trump’s threats should be taken seriously.
A joint statement by the six European leaders read: “Nato has made clear that the Artic 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.
“Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with Nato allies, including the United States, by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of borders.
“These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them.”
They called the US an “essential partner” in this endeavour.
“Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland,” added the leaders in the statement.
Miller, the top Trump aide, doubled down on the president’s threats earlier on Tuesday, telling CNN that the “formal position of the US government is that Greenland should be part of the US” to protect Nato and the Arctic.
He said the US is “the power of Nato”, adding: “For the US to secure the Arctic region, to protect and defend Nato and Nato interests, obviously Greenland should be part of the US.”
“By what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? What is their basis of claiming Greenland as a colony of Denmark?” he added.
Greenland was ruled by Denmark from the early 18th century until 1979 when home rule began. In 2009, Greenland approved the Self-Government Act in a referendum, giving Greenland the right of self-determination while remaining in the Kingdom of Denmark, along with the Faroe Islands.
The territory is currently home to the largest and most northern US Space Base above the Arctic Circle and sits in an area of strategic military importance for the US, China, and Russia.
Speaking after launching military action in Venezuela and capturing the ousted leader Nicolás Maduro, Trump ratcheted up his threats once again on Greenland.
He claimed Greenland is “covered by Russian and Chinese ships” and that “we need Greenland from a national security perspective”.
Starmer on Monday insisted Greenland’s future is “only” for the territory and the Kingdom of Denmark to decide after the US president infuriated European allies by reiterating his desire to annex the country over the weekend.
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