Trump considers taking over Greenland, military pressure not ruled out

US President Donald Trump and his advisers are actively discussing the possibility of annexing Greenland, and are not ruling out the use of military power to secure the territory, according to a report by Reuters on Tuesday.

“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,” the White House stated, as cited by Reuters. “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.”

A senior US official told Reuters that Trump hopes to secure the acquisition during his current term. The administration is also reviewing the possibility of forming a compact of free association with Greenland, a model previously used in arrangements with territories such as the Marshall Islands.

Public statements show contradictions
In public, however, the Trump administration claims it supports Greenland pursuing independence while forging strong economic and trade relations with the United States.

Speaking to CNBC on Tuesday, Jeff Landry, who is serving as US special envoy to Greenland, said: “I think that the President supports an independent Greenland with economic ties and trade opportunities for the United States.”

Landry framed the approach through a commercial lens, arguing that Trump views international relations in transactional terms. “He pointed out that Trump is a businessman and wants great trading partners for the US,” the report said.

Beyond trade, the envoy stressed Greenland’s longstanding military and strategic importance to Washington, citing US defense arrangements dating back to World War II and the continuing American troop presence on the island. “We have a defense treaty that’s been in place since 1941. We’ve got soldiers in Greenland. We can do more. We can offer Greenland more than Europe is,” he said.

Attack on Greenland would mark NATO end
Meanwhile, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned on Monday, in response to US President Donald Trump’s renewed push for US control over Greenland, just days after the attack on Venezuela, that any attempt by the United States to take over Greenland would signal the end of NATO.

The takeover rhetoric has raised alarm in Copenhagen and across the Arctic island, a strategic, mineral-rich territory that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and a member of NATO.

Speaking to Danish broadcaster TV2, Frederiksen declared that any US military action against Greenland would undermine the post–World War II security framework.

“If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,” she said. “That is, including our NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of the Second World War.”