The ways in which the United States could gain control of Greenland are being examined by American President Donald Trump in cooperation with his staff, according to the White House. Specifically, Donald Trump and his team of advisors are discussing various options for acquiring Greenland, and the use of the American military to achieve this goal is “always an option,” the White House stated.
“President Trump has made it very clear that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority for the United States and is vital to deterring our adversaries in the Arctic region. The President and his team are discussing a range of options to achieve this important foreign policy objective and, of course, utilizing the American military is always an option available to the commander-in-chief,” the White House stated in a release, responding to Reuters inquiries.
White House on Greenland: Purchase or special agreement on the table
According to Reuters sources citing a senior American official, the scenarios being considered include both purchasing Greenland and establishing a free association agreement with the island.
The same official reportedly emphasizes that Trump wants to proceed with some form of control over Greenland within his current presidential term and that the issue “will not disappear,” despite strong reactions from European countries and NATO allies.
Greenland & Denmark seek immediate meeting with Rubio
Meanwhile, Greenland and Denmark requested to meet immediately with American Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss Donald Trump’s recent statements regarding his intention to annex the Arctic island, as announced by Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt.
“The purpose of the meeting is to discuss significant statements by the United States about Greenland,” Motzfeldt wrote on Facebook. “It has not been possible to date for American Secretary of State Marco Rubio to meet with the government of Greenland. And this, despite the fact that the government of Greenland and the government of Denmark have requested, throughout 2025, a meeting at the foreign minister level,” she added.
“Greenlanders would be better protected by the US” says Trump
Donald Trump, for his part, reiterated his position that Greenland has critical geostrategic importance for the United States, provoking strong reactions in Europe.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told CNN: “President Trump believes that Greenland is a strategically important location that is critical from a national security perspective and is confident that Greenlanders would be better served if they were protected by the United States from modern threats in the Arctic region.” She also added that “the President is committed to establishing long-term peace at home and abroad.”
Scandinavian front: “Arctic security based on international law”
In response to American positions, the foreign ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden issued a joint statement, emphasizing that Arctic security is based on respect for international law.
“Security in the Arctic is based on respect for the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, including the inviolability of borders,” they stated, emphasizing that issues concerning Denmark and Greenland “fall within their competence to decide alone.”
Miller statements and fierce reaction from Greenland
Earlier, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller argued that military intervention is not required for Greenland’s future, stating that “no one is going to militarily fight the United States over Greenland’s future.” Meanwhile, he questioned Denmark’s right to the territory, provoking further reactions.
For his part, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen responded harshly, calling on Trump to abandon “his annexation fantasies” and characterizing US rhetoric as “completely and absolutely unacceptable.”
“Enough already,” he stated characteristically.
Historical and political background
Greenland, where the Inuit have lived for thousands of years, was a Danish colony until 1953 and remains part of the Danish kingdom, with Copenhagen managing foreign policy and defense. The US has maintained a military presence on the island since the Cold War, with a base at Pituffik (formerly Thule), critical for the ballistic missile early warning system.
In recent years, discussion of Greenland’s independence has intensified. Amid pressure from Washington, the country recently formed a four-party national unity government, with the central message in the coalition agreement being: “Greenland belongs to us.”
