US discussing options to acquire Greenland, including use of military, says White House

According to the White House, US President Donald Trump has been considering “a range of options” to obtain Greenland, including using the military. The acquisition of Greenland, a semi-autonomous area of fellow NATO member Denmark, was described as a “national security priority” by the White House.

The declaration was made just hours after European leaders united in support of Denmark, which has been resisting Trump’s claims to the Arctic island. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that any US strike would be the end of NATO after Trump reiterated over the weekend that the US “needed” Greenland for security reasons.

The White House said on Tuesday: “The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the US military is always an option at the Commander-in-Chief’s disposal.”

On Tuesday, six European allies expressed support for Denmark.

“Greenland belongs to its people, and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations,” the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Denmark said in a joint statement.

The European signatories to the joint declaration emphasized that they shared the US’s enthusiasm for Arctic security and that it must be accomplished “collectively” by NATO members, including the US.

They additionally requested “upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders” . Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the prime minister of Greenland, called for “respectful dialogue” and praised the remarks. Following the US military intervention in Venezuela, where elite troops apprehended President Nicolás Maduro and transported him to New York to face charges related to drugs and weapons, the question of Greenland’s future came up again.

Greenland, which has a population of 57,000 people, has had extensive self-government since 1979, though defence and foreign policy remain in Danish hands While most Greenlanders favour eventual independence from Denmark, opinion polls show overwhelming opposition to becoming part of the US, which already has a military base on the island.