White House Says Military Option 'Not Off the Table' for Acquiring Greenland

The White House said Tuesday that President Donald Trump is actively discussing options to acquire Greenland—and that using the U.S. military to do so has not been ruled out.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president has made clear that acquiring the Arctic territory is a national security priority for the United States. Trump's public interest in Greenland dates back to last year, and in March he sent Vice President JD Vance to visit a U.S. military installation on the island.

Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, a NATO ally. The renewed push from Washington has drawn sharp responses from European leaders, who issued a joint statement Tuesday affirming that the island belongs to its people.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Monday that Trump's ambitions should be "taken seriously," but cautioned that any U.S. military action against Greenland could effectively bring an end to the NATO alliance.

Greenland's government said Tuesday it has requested a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.