US signals both purchase and military paths for Greenland

The US administration has sent mixed signals over plans to acquire Greenland, with the White House leaving the use of military force on the table while the secretary of state has spoken of buying the Danish territory, according to media reports.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that "President [Donald Trump] and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. Military is always an option at the Commander in Chief's disposal."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also serving as Trump's national security adviser, told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing that recent rhetoric should not be interpreted as signalling a military invasion, US media reported.

The aim, according to the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times citing people familiar with the matter, is to purchase Greenland.

The New York Times added, citing officials, that Trump had asked his staff to submit an updated plan for acquiring the island, an idea he had already floated during his first term in office. The briefing reportedly took place on Monday.

Seven European leaders expressed solidarity with Greenland on Tuesday after renewed threats by Trump.

"Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland," the joint statement said, which was signed by the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Britain and Denmark.

It was issued following new comments by Trump asserting Washington's interest in bringing the largely autonomous territory under US control, saying the US "needs" Greenland for national security purposes.

The leaders stressed the importance of the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders.

They also noted that the Kingdom of Denmark, including Greenland, is part of NATO, and said security in the Arctic must therefore be "achieved collectively" with NATO allies, including the US.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned on Monday that an attack by the US on another NATO member would mark the end of the Western defence alliance and the post-World War II security architecture.

Trump's approach has also drawn criticism in the US Congress.

Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Senator Thom Tillis, both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that if Denmark and Greenland made clear the island was not for sale, the US must uphold its treaty obligations and respect Denmark's sovereignty.

Trump has repeatedly cited China and Russia, saying vessels from both countries could be seen along Greenland's coastline. He added that the issue was not minerals or oil, which he says the United States already has in sufficient supply, but national security.

The US president's recent remarks followed a US military operation in Venezuela and fuelled concerns internationally that Washington could turn its focus to other regions.
Greenland, the world's largest island, lies between North America and Europe and extends well into the Arctic Circle. Climate change is making the Arctic increasingly important for civilian and military shipping routes.

Greenland is also believed to hold deposits of strategically important minerals, including rare earths used in products such as smartphones, laptops and televisions.

Trump first raised the idea of acquiring Greenland in 2019 during his first term, an approach initially dismissed in Denmark as a joke. Since then, he has repeatedly renewed his claims and has not ruled out using military force to bring the island under US control.
The US already has extensive defence rights in Greenland under a 1951 agreement with Denmark and operates a military base at Pituffik, about 1,500 kilometres north of the capital Nuuk, supporting missile warning, missile defence and space surveillance missions.

Greenland was a Danish colony until 1953, but has gained increasing self-government since 1979 and is now largely autonomous. Denmark retains responsibility for foreign and defence policy, and through its ties to the kingdom, Greenland is also part of NATO.