WASHINGTON: The White House said Tuesday that President Donald Trump is discussing options to acquire Greenland, including possible use of the U.S. military, in a revival of his ambition to control the strategic island despite European objections.
Trump views the acquisition of Greenland as a U.S. national security priority necessary to “deter our adversaries in the Arctic region,” the White House said in a statement.
“The president and his team are discussing a variety of options to achieve this important foreign policy goal and, of course, using the U.S. military is always an option available to the commander in chief,” the White House said.
Greenland has repeatedly said it does not want to be part of the United States. The leaders of major European powers and Canada on Tuesday supported the Arctic territory, saying it belongs to their people.
A U.S. military takeover of Greenland from an old ally, Denmark, would send shock waves through the NATO alliance and deepen the divide between Trump and European leaders.
The strong opposition has not deterred Trump from reviewing how to make Greenland an American hub in an area where there is growing interest from Russia and China. Trump’s interest, initially expressed in 2019 during his first term, has been rekindled in recent days following the US arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Emboldened by Maduro’s capture last weekend, Trump has expressed his belief that “American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again” and has put pressure on both Colombia and Cuba.
He has also started talking about Greenland again after leaving it on the back burner for months.
A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said Trump and his advisers are discussing a variety of ways to acquire Greenland.
Greenland for sale?
Those options include the direct purchase of Greenland by the United States or forming a Compact of Free Association with the territory, the official said. A COFA agreement would fall short of Trump’s ambition to make the island of 57,000 people part of the United States.
The official did not provide a potential purchase price.
“Diplomacy is always the president’s first choice in anything and in negotiation. He loves deals. So if a good deal can be reached to acquire Greenland, that would definitely be his first instinct,” the official said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers that the administration’s recent threats against Greenland did not indicate an imminent invasion and that the goal is to buy the island from Denmark during a classified briefing late Monday for congressional leaders, two sources familiar with the briefing said.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report Rubio’s comment.
Members of Congress, including some of Trump’s fellow Republicans, rejected the administration’s comments on Greenland, noting that NATO member Denmark has been a loyal ally of the United States.
“When Denmark and Greenland make clear that Greenland is not for sale, the United States must fulfill its obligations under the treaty and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark,” Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, co-chairs of the Senate NATO Observer Group, said in a statement.
Administration officials say the island is crucial to the United States because of its mineral deposits important for military and high-tech applications. These resources remain untapped due to labor shortages, poor infrastructure, and other challenges.
“It’s not going away,” the official said of the president’s push to acquire Greenland during his remaining three years in office.
