The White House said Tuesday that acquiring Greenland is a “national security priority” and that using the U.S. military to achieve that goal is under consideration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPresident Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it\u2019s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region,\u201d White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe President and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. Military is always an option at the Commander in Chief\u2019s disposal,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The White House statement was issued shortly after major European allies, including Denmark, said in a joint statement that they would \u201cnot stop defending\u201d the values of sovereignty and Greenland\u2019s territorial integrity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGreenland belongs to its people,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A senior White House official told NBC News that other options under consideration include purchasing the territory from Denmark or forming what’s known as a compact of free association with the island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. government has similar agreements with the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau. Those deals include financial assistance in exchange for allowing the U.S. to have security presences there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. has had a military base in Greenland for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump and his team have expressed their desire to take over the semi-autonomous territory for months, citing its strategic importance and vast mineral wealth. The pronouncements have ramped up in recent days, with Trump telling NBC News on Monday that he was “very serious” about acquiring the territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. allies in NATO have begun to take the threats more seriously in the wake of last weekend’s attack against Venezuela and the ouster of its president, Nicol\u00e1s Maduro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Kingdom of Denmark \u2014 including Greenland \u2014 is part of NATO,\u201d the leaders of France, Germany, Britain, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark said in their joint statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSecurity in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies including the United States, by upholding the principles of the U.N. Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders,” they added. \u201cIt is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stephen Miller, Trump\u2019s deputy chief of staff for policy, told CNN on Monday that it’s the formal position of the Trump administration that \u201cGreenland should be part of the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asked whether military action was off the table, Miller said, “It wouldn\u2019t be military action against Greenland.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The real question is, what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their territorial claim?” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. signed an agreement in 1916 saying it \u201cwill not object to the Danish Government extending their political and economic interests to the whole of Greenland\u201d as part of a deal to buy what is now called the U.S. Virgin Islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump alarmed Danish officials last month when he named Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as his special envoy to Greenland. The Republican governor has publicly supported Trump\u2019s proposal to incorporate Greenland into the U.S. In a post on X thanking Trump, Landry called the appointment a \u201cvolunteer position to make Greenland a part of the U.S.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Using the military to acquire Greenland would not have the support of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, I don\u2019t think that\u2019s appropriate,\u201d Johnson said in response to a question Tuesday night from NBC News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think Greenland is viewed by a lot of people as something that would be a strategic position for the U.S.,\u201d Johnson told reporters as he left the Capitol. \u201cI don\u2019t know how it develops from there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asked if Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers in Monday’s classified briefing that Trump preferred to buy Greenland, Johnson said, “I don\u2019t remember that. He might have said it in jest or something. I\u2019m not sure.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump has spoken more about taking over Greenland following the 2024 presidential election. Last January, before taking office, Trump suggested he could use military force to acquire Greenland and the Panama Canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told her country\u2019s TV2 on Monday that \u201cif the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n