The White House said on Tuesday US President Donald Trump is discussing options for acquiring Greenland, including potential use of the US military, in a revival of his ambition to control the strategic island despite European objections. Trump sees acquiring Greenland as a US national security priority necessary to “deter our adversaries in the Arctic region”, 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.” Greenland has repeatedly said it does not want to be part of the US.
Leaders from major European powers and Canada rallied behind the Arctic territory on Tuesday, saying it belongs to its people. A US military seizure of Greenland from a longtime ally, Denmark, would send shockwaves 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 a US hub in an area where there is growing interest from Russia andChina.
Trump’s interest, initially voiced in 2019 during his first term in office, has been rekindled in recent days afterthe US arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Emboldened by Maduro’s capture last weekend, Trump has voiced his belief that “American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again”, and has put pressure on Colombia and Cuba. He has also started talking about Greenland again after putting it on the back burner for months.
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A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said Trump and his advisers are discussing ways to acquire Greenland. The options include the outright US purchase of Greenland or forming a compact of free association (Cofa) with the territory, the official said. A Cofa agreement would stop short of Trump’s ambition to make the island of 57,000 people a part of the US.
The official did not provide a potential purchase price. “Diplomacy is always the president’s first option with anything, and dealmaking. He loves deals. If a good deal can be struck to acquire Greenland, that would definitely be his first instinct,” the official said.
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