White House says Trump weighing options to acquire Greenland, including military

The White House said Tuesday that President Donald Trump is again pursuing U.S. control of Greenland, describing the Arctic territory as a national security priority and saying his team is reviewing multiple pathways to acquire it — including the potential use of the U.S. military.

In a statement carried by U.S. and international media, the White House said Trump views Greenland as critical to deterring adversaries in the Arctic and that “a range of options” is under discussion. Reuters reported those options include negotiating an outright purchase and exploring a Compact of Free Association (COFA) arrangement that would stop short of formally making Greenland part of the United States.

The comments immediately drew sharp pushback from Denmark — a NATO ally that retains responsibility for Greenland’s foreign and defense policy — and from Greenlandic leaders, who have repeatedly said the island is not for sale and does not want to become part of the United States.

European leaders also moved quickly to underscore Greenland’s right to self-determination. The Guardian reported that leaders including Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen joined a statement emphasizing that Greenland “belongs to its people,” and Greenland’s government sought urgent talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The prospect of force has alarmed allies because Denmark is a member of NATO. Reuters noted that any military seizure of Greenland would send shock waves through the alliance and deepen strains between Washington and European capitals.

On Capitol Hill, some lawmakers from both parties publicly urged restraint. Reuters reported that the co-chairs of the Senate NATO Observer Group said the United States should respect Denmark’s sovereignty when Denmark and Greenland make clear the territory is not for sale.

Trump’s interest in acquiring Greenland first surfaced during his first term in 2019, when the idea was rejected by Danish and Greenlandic officials. At the time, Frederiksen called the notion “absurd,” saying Greenland “is not for sale.”

The renewed focus comes as Washington points to Greenland’s strategic location and its mineral resources. Reuters reported U.S. officials have argued the island is important partly because it has deposits of minerals used in high-tech and military applications, though extraction is limited by infrastructure and labor challenges.

The United States already maintains a military presence on Greenland — home to the Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base) — a long-standing hub for Arctic and space-related defense missions.