(NewsNation) — The Trump administration has signaled that military intervention is a possibility as the White House expresses renewed interest in acquiring Greenland, sparking harsh backlash from NATO allies.
Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally that has continuously rejected President Donald Trump’s interest in the country.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Monday that an American takeover of Greenland would end the NATO military alliance.
“If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,” Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster TV2 on Monday. “That is, including our NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of the Second World War.”
Trump initially expressed interest in acquiring Greenland in 2019 during his first term in office, and now, less than a week after U.S. forces successfully captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the White House isn’t ruling out military intervention as a possibility in the Arctic region.
“The President 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,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Tuesday.
Why does Trump want Greenland?
President Trump’s explanation behind wanting to acquire Greenland is related to national security interests and ultimately wanting more control as he tries to limit Russia and China’s activity in the region.
“We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it,” Trump told reporters on Sunday.
The country’s location is seen as a strategic advantage, as it lies off the northeastern coast of Canada, with more than two-thirds of its territory within the Arctic Circle.
This location has been crucial to the defense of North America since World War II, when the U.S. occupied Greenland to ensure it didn’t fall into the hands of Nazi Germany and to protect crucial North Atlantic shipping lanes.
The country is also rich in rare earth minerals, key components of cellphones, computers, batteries and other high-tech devices that are expected to continue to power the world’s economy in the coming decades.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Wednesday that he’ll meet with officials in Denmark next week regarding Trump’s desire to acquire the island.
Senators cast doubt on Greenland invasion
After a classified Capitol Hill briefing on Wednesday with administration officials, some senators expressed doubts that Trump is seriously considering invading Greenland.
“To invade Greenland and attack its sovereignty, a federal NATO country, would be weapons-grade stupid,” said Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana.
“President Trump is not weapons-grade stupid, nor is Marco Rubio,” he added.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, said Trump is “fixated on Greenland” but “doesn’t want to go to war.”
Trump’s plans to take over Greenland are ‘disrespectful’: Greenland PM
The recent comments out of the White House about acquiring Greenland have elicited serious pushback from NATO allies and Greenland’s government.
“No more pressure. No more hints. No more fantasies about annexation,” Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a Facebook post Sunday.
“When the president of the United States talks about ‘we need Greenland’ and connects us with Venezuela and military intervention, it’s not just wrong. This is so disrespectful,” he added.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a joint statement that Greenland “belongs to its people.”
“It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland,” they urged.
How do Americans feel about acquiring Greenland?
72% of Americans oppose using military force to take control of Greenland, while 7% support it, according to a 2025 YouGov poll.
The purchase of Greenland is a bit more popular, with only 45% opposing it and 24% in support.
NewsNation’s Joe Khalil and Julia Manchester, NewsNation partner The Hill, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.