The White House said on Tuesday that using the U.S. military to acquire Greenland is on the table, calling the move a “national security priority.”
“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,” Leavitt said in a statement. “The 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’s disposal.”
Also, on Tuesday, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, claimed the U.S. has a right to Greenland and did not rule out the use of American military force.
“The United States should have Greenland as part of the United States,” he said in an interview with CNN. “The real question is, by what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their territorial claim? What is their basis of having Greenland as a colony of Denmark?”
“The United States is the power of NATO. For the United States to secure the Arctic region to protect and defend NATO and NATO interests, obviously, Greenland should be part of the United States,” Miller continued. “And so that’s a conversation that we’re going to have, as a country.”
The statement from the White House came after Denmark, along with other European allies, said they would “not stop defending” Greenland’s territorial integrity.
“Greenland belongs to its people,” they said.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned of major consequences — an attack by America on Greenland would see the end of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, she said.
“If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,” Frederiksen said Monday. “That is, including our NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of the Second World War.”
Frederiksen said Trump “should be taken seriously” when he says he wants Greenland.
“We will not accept a situation where we and Greenland are threatened in this way,” she added.
Trump has repeatedly hinted at his desire to take over Greenland, citing national security concerns.
“We need Greenland from a national security situation,” Trump said on Sunday. “Let’s talk about Greenland in 20 days. I’ll just say this, we need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and the European Union needs us to have it.”
