US raises military option for acquiring Greenland as European and Canadian leaders back Greenland’s self-determination

Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
42m ago
The White House said the US military is “always an option” for acquiring Greenland, while European and Canadian leaders publicly backed Greenland’s right to decide its own future and rejected threats against Denmark.
US raises military option for acquiring Greenland as European and Canadian leaders back Greenland’s self-determination
A What happened
The White House said President Donald Trump views acquiring Greenland, part of Denmark, as a national security priority and said using the US military is “always an option.” Leaders from several European countries and Canada issued statements supporting Greenland and saying the island “belongs to its people” and that only Denmark and Greenland can decide matters concerning them. Greenland’s government sought an urgent meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Greenland’s prime minister called for “respectful dialogue.” The Wall Street Journal reported Rubio told US lawmakers the goal is to buy Greenland from Denmark and that the rhetoric does not signal an imminent invasion.

Key insights

  • 1

    European leaders framed Greenland’s status as a matter for Greenland and Denmark alone: A joint statement by leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom said Greenland “belongs to its people” and that only Denmark and Greenland can decide matters concerning them.

  • 2

    Nordic foreign ministers linked Greenland’s self-determination to Arctic security investment: Foreign ministers from Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark stressed Greenland’s right to decide its own affairs and said they had increased investments in Arctic security, offering to do more in consultation with the US and other NATO allies.

  • 3

    US officials delivered mixed messages on the use of force: The White House said the US military is “always an option,” while the Wall Street Journal reported Rubio told lawmakers the goal is to buy Greenland and that the rhetoric does not signal an imminent invasion.

Takeaways

The US publicly kept military force on the table for acquiring Greenland while European, Nordic, and Canadian leaders reaffirmed Greenland’s right to self-determination and Denmark and Greenland sought direct talks with Washington.

Topics

World & Politics International Affairs Diplomacy Security & Defense

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