Trump Wants Greenland — White House Confirms Active Talks
Trump is actively discussing buying Greenland. Discover 7 powerful reasons tied to Arctic security, NATO tensions, and US national security concerns.
The White House has confirmed that US President Donald Trump and his officials are "actively" discussing a potential offer to buy Greenland, a territory of Denmark.
White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday that it is "something that the president and his national security team are actively discussing right now."
Both Greenland and Denmark have repeatedly insisted that the island is not for sale.
Asked why the Trump administration had previously suggested it was not ruling out the use of military force to acquire Greenland, Leavitt responded that all options are always on the table, but Trump's "first option has always been diplomacy."
Concerns about the territory's future resurfaced after Trump's unilateral use of military force on Saturday to apprehend Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Denmark, a NATO ally, says an attack on its territory would trigger the military alliance.
The Trump administration argues that Greenland is crucial to US security.
Despite being the least populated territory, its location between North America and the Arctic makes it a prime location for early warning systems in the event of missile attacks and for monitoring shipping in the region.
The Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base, has been operated by the US since after World War II.
In recent years, there has also been increased interest in Greenland's natural resources, including rare earth minerals, uranium, and iron, which are becoming more accessible due to melting ice caused by climate change. Scientists believe it may also hold large reserves of oil and gas.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that he would be holding talks with Denmark next week.
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Trump previously offered to buy the island in 2019, during his first presidential term, but was told it was not for sale. Levitt said, "The acquisition of Greenland by the United States is not a new idea."
"The president has been very open and transparent with all of you and the world that he sees it as in the best interest of the United States to counter Russian and Chinese aggression in the Arctic region, and that's why his team is currently discussing what a potential purchase would look like."
The White House said earlier this week that Trump was discussing several options for acquiring Greenland, including the use of military force. Levitt said, "All options are always on the table for President Trump, as he looks at what is in the best interest of the United States."
Earlier in the day, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said that Rubio had "ruled out the possibility of an attack" on Greenland during a phone call with him.
Barrot was scheduled to discuss the Arctic island with his German and Polish counterparts later on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, European leaders issued a joint statement in support of Denmark.
"Greenland belongs to its people, and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters relating to their relationship," the leaders of France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Denmark said in a joint statement.
Emphasizing that they are just as concerned about Arctic security as the US, the European signatories said it should be achieved "collectively" by NATO allies, including the US.
They also called for "upholding the principles of the UN Charter," which include sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of borders.
A day after US military action in Venezuela, Katie Miller, the wife of a senior Trump aide, posted a map of Greenland in the colors of the American flag on social media, along with the word "SOON."
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On Monday, her husband, Stephen Miller, said it was "the formal position of the US government that Greenland should be part of the United States." Aaja Chemnitz, one of the two members of the Danish parliament representing Greenland,Trump administration's comments were "a clear threat."
"It's completely outrageous that the American side is not ruling out the possibility of occupying our country and occupying another NATO ally," she said.
But Chemnitz said she found that unlikely – instead, "what we're going to see is that they will put pressure on us to ensure that they will take over Greenland over time."
Alekaatsiaq Peary, a 42-year-old Inuit hunter living in the far northern Greenlandic town of Qaanaaq, expressed indifference to the prospect of American ownership.
"It would just be going from one owner to another, from one occupier to another," he said. "We are a colony under Denmark. We are already losing so much by being under the Danish government." Saying he had "no time for Trump," he added that people "are in need." He explained that hunters like him hunt and fish with dogs on the sea ice, "but the sea ice is melting and the hunters can no longer make a living."
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