Donald Trump doubles down on Greenland as US explores ‘range of options’ to acquire region

A White House statement said the US President has been exploring a “range of options” to acquire the region, including the possible use of the military.

Mr Trump said at the weekend that the US “needed” Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of fellow Nato member Denmark, for security reasons.

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

Nato is a transatlantic military alliance in which members are expected to come to one another’s aid if any ally is attacked.

The issue of Greenland has returned to the fore following recent US military action in Venezuela, during which American forces seized President Nicolás Maduro and transported him to New York to face drugs and weapons charges.

Six European allies have backed Denmark in a joint statement amid the renewed dispute over Greenland.

“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.

Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, welcomed the statement and called for “respectful dialogue”.

Meanwhile, close Trump ally Jason Miller rejected suggestions that the former US president’s rhetoric amounted to imperialism, describing it instead as a serious geopolitical strategy.

Speaking to GB News, Mr Miller said: “We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defence.”

He insisted, however, that Mr Trump had no intention of launching a military invasion.

“He’s not going to invade Greenland,” Mr Miller said. “I think what this is is the mainstream media trying to distract away from the fact that President Trump brought to justice a narco-terrorist in Nicolás Maduro, and that he’s going to restore democracy to the people of Venezuela.”

Mr Miller added that Greenland “should be a territorial area controlled by the United States”, arguing that Washington could do a better job than Denmark of maximising its strategic potential — particularly as melting ice opens new shipping lanes and as Russia and China expand their military presence in the Arctic.

“But no, there’s not going to be an invasion of Greenland,” he said. “That’s just a silly distraction.”

Mr Trump first made his intentions regarding Greenland clear during the 2024 election campaign.

Russia and China also have growing interests in the region, as climate change increases the possibility of new Arctic trade routes.

In March last year, Mr Trump said the US would “go as far as we have to go” to gain control of the territory.

During a congressional hearing last summer, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked whether the Pentagon had plans to take Greenland by force if necessary.

“Our job at the Defence Department is to have plans for any contingency,” he said.