White House says 'all options' are on the table for Greenland, including diplomacy

"The White House is standing by President Trump's interest in Greenland, saying "all options" are on the table as the administration weighs a potential acquisition of the territory that's controlled by Denmark. "All options are always on the table for President Trump as he examines what's in the best interest of the United States, but I will just say that the President's first option always has been diplomacy," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday. Her comments come amid growing alarm among administration critics about the muscularity of U.S. foreign policy following the military operation in Venezuela on Saturday that led to the arrest of the nation's president, Nicolas Maduro."

"Trump has repeatedly voiced support for the U.S. acquiring Greenland, dating back to his first term in 2019. Trump has said Greenland is vitally important to U.S. priorities in the Arctic, and expressed interest in the territory's large amounts of rare earth minerals. "Right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place," Trump told reporters over the weekend. "We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.""

"The president's continued focus on Greenland is posing a test for trans-Atlantic relations. In a joint statement released Tuesday, the leaders of seven European nations defended Greenland's sovereignty, saying it "belongs to its people." "It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland," read the statement from the leaders of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the U.K. Several European leaders, including Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, have fervently pushed back on Trump's comments, saying that an attack on Greenland by the U.S. military would jeopardize the NATO military alliance."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said all options remain on the table as the administration weighs a potential acquisition of Greenland from Denmark, and that the president's first option has always been diplomacy. Critics expressed alarm about the muscularity of U.S. foreign policy after a military operation in Venezuela that resulted in President Nicolas Maduro's arrest. President Trump has repeatedly pursued acquisition of Greenland since 2019, citing its Arctic strategic value and substantial rare earth minerals and warning of Russian and Chinese activity around the island. European leaders affirmed Greenlandic sovereignty and warned that U.S. military action could jeopardize NATO.

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