White House says military always an option in Greenland amid European pushback

White House says military is ‘always an option’ in Greenland

The White House said Tuesday that “U.S. military is always an option” in Greenland, even as European leaders rejected renewed U.S. calls for an American takeover of the Arctic island. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made the statement amid diplomatic pushback from Denmark and Greenland, and from allied European governments.

In her statement, Leavitt said President Donald Trump and his team are “discussing a range of options” to pursue a foreign policy goal involving Greenland. She added that “of course, utilizing the U.S. military is always an option at the commander in chief’s disposal.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had said Monday that Trump should be taken seriously when he speaks about wanting Greenland. On Tuesday, the White House’s stance landed as a direct response to mounting alarm across Europe about what U.S. comments could lead to in the Arctic.

European leaders reaffirm Greenland’s sovereignty

Frederiksen and leaders including France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement reaffirming that the strategic, mineral-rich island “belongs to its people.” The statement said “Greenland belongs to its people,” and that “It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”

The statement also tied Greenland’s status to Denmark’s role and the island’s place in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization through Denmark’s NATO membership. The European leaders’ message contrasted with Trump’s renewed suggestion that the United States should take control of Greenland for strategic reasons, according to the AP report.

U.S. officials push back on military framing, but won’t rule it out

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said when asked Tuesday if he felt comfortable taking military action in Greenland that “No. I don’t think it’s appropriate.” The remarks came amid renewed debate inside the U.S. political establishment about whether the Greenland issue could escalate beyond diplomacy.

Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff and a key figure in the U.S. position on Greenland, had said Monday that the United States should have Greenland as part of its “overall security apparatus.” In an interview with CNN, Miller also said there was “no need to even think or talk about this in the context that you are asking, of a military operation,” adding that “Nobody is going to fight the U.S. militarily over the future of Greenland.”

The White House position therefore mixed diplomacy talk with explicit language that military action remained available, a combination that drew criticism abroad as well as caution at home.

Greenland dispute feeds NATO-security concerns

Frederiksen warned Monday that if the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, “then everything stops,” including “our NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of the Second World War.” Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, in remarks Monday night, insisted on the need for good relations with the U.S., saying Greenland is “not in a situation where we think that there might be a takeover of the country overnight.”

Within the U.S. Congress, two lawmakers—Steny H. Hoyer and Blake Moore, co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Friends of Denmark Caucus—issued a joint statement urging calm. They said “Sabre-rattling about annexing Greenland is needlessly dangerous,” and warned that “An attack on Greenland — a crucial part of that alliance — would tragically be an attack on NATO.”

Other allies weigh in as Canada plans a visit

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also expressed support, and announced that Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon and Foreign Minister Anita Anand would visit Greenland early next month. Carney said while standing next to Frederiksen at the Canadian Embassy in Paris that “The future of Greenland and Denmark are decided solely by the people of Denmark.”

The announcements broadened a diplomatic front in which European leaders were aligning with Denmark and Greenland’s position that Greenland’s governance decisions are not subject to a U.S. takeover.

U.S. special envoy says he wants direct talks with Greenland residents

Jeff Landry, the Louisiana governor Trump appointed last month as U.S. special envoy to Greenland, said he did not want to negotiate with Danish officials and instead wanted conversations directly with Greenland residents. Landry said on Fox News radio that he “want[s] to talk to people who want an opportunity to improve the quality of life in Greenland.”

Landry said he has already exchanged emails with Greenlanders who reached out to him. He told the show that they “like to hunt, they like to fish, they like to have a good time,” and he quipped, “y’all belong in Louisiana,” describing it as “culinary diplomacy.”

Strategic arguments, and doubts about the threat picture

Trump has argued that the United States needs Greenland to ensure security in the Arctic amid growing Russian and Chinese activity. In comments reported by AP, Trump said Sunday that “Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place,” adding that the U.S. needs Greenland “from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.”

But Ulrik Pram Gad, a global security expert at the Danish Institute for International Studies, questioned that characterization, writing that “There are indeed Russian and Chinese ships in the Arctic, but these vessels are too far away to see from Greenland with or without binoculars.”

How the flare-up escalated

AP reported that the dispute intensified after Stephen Miller’s wife, Katie Miller, posted an illustrated map of Greenland in U.S. flag colors with the caption “SOON” over the weekend. Trump’s comments Sunday, including telling reporters “let’s talk about Greenland in 20 days,” furthered fears among European officials that the U.S. was considering a near-term intervention.

In response, Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster TV2 that Trump’s comments about Greenland “should be taken seriously,” while Nielsen emphasized the need for cooperation with Washington.