The White House revealed that US President Donald Trump is considering several options to acquire Greenland from Denmark, while confirming that using the US military remains an option. The statements prompted Greenland and Denmark to request an urgent meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, amid growing European concern, joint support for Denmark's sovereignty, and a clear rejection of any harm to the status of the island and its residents.
Published on: 01/07/2026 - 00:19
The White House announced on Tuesday that President Donald Trump is considering a set of proposals to acquire Greenland from Denmark, noting that resorting to the US military "is still an option."
A statement by White House spokeswoman Carolyn Leavitt said: “President Trump has made clear that acquiring Greenland is a US national security priority, and that it is a vital element to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region.”
Levitt continued, "The president and his team are studying several options to move forward in achieving this important foreign policy goal, and of course using the US military remains one of the options available to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces."
Trump's renewed statements regarding the autonomous territory of Greenland have caused a state of anxiety in Europe, amid fears that the transatlantic alliance with the United States is on the verge of a deep crisis.
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Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt announced earlier Tuesday that Greenland and Denmark requested an emergency meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss Trump's recent statements about his intention to annex the Arctic island.
Motzfeldt stated in a post on her Facebook page that “the meeting aims to discuss the important statements issued by the United States regarding Greenland.”
She went on to say, "Until now, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has not had the opportunity to meet with the Greenlandic government, even though the Greenlandic and Danish governments have repeatedly requested a meeting at the level of foreign ministers throughout 2025."
As for Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, he considered that the meeting with Rubio could contribute to dispelling "some misunderstandings."
Greenland's Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen reiterated that the island is not for sale, and that the decision on its future should be exclusively in the hands of its residents.
At the European level, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement declaring their support for Denmark in the face of Trump’s demands, stressing that it will defend the “global principles” of “sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of borders.”
“I would like to express my deep gratitude for this support,” Nielsen said on social media.
It is noteworthy that Washington operates a military base in Greenland, which has an estimated population of about 57 thousand people.
France 24/AFP
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