Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers this week that President Donald Trump wants to acquire Greenland through a purchase rather than military action, as the administration revisits a long-standing proposal that has triggered sharp pushback from European allies and renewed debate over U.S. strategy in the Arctic.
Rubio delivered the remarks during a closed-door briefing on Monday with members of the armed services and foreign policy committees in both chambers of Congress, according to U.S. officials.
The briefing was focused primarily on Venezuela, but lawmakers raised questions about Trump's intentions toward Greenland after recent comments by the president and senior adviser Stephen Miller.
The same day as the congressional briefing, Trump asked aides to provide an updated plan for acquiring Greenland, officials said. Trump has expressed interest in Greenland since his first term and has framed the issue as a national security priority tied to growing competition in the Arctic.
Greenland is a sparsely populated, resource-rich territory governed by Denmark, a NATO member, but it operates with broad autonomy over domestic affairs. Rubio did not outline what a purchase would entail or whether formal talks with Denmark have occurred.
On Tuesday, Denmark's prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, joined leaders from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland in a joint statement rejecting Trump's assertions that the United States should take control of Greenland.
The statement emphasized collective security through NATO and respect for national sovereignty.
"Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies including the United States, by upholding the principles of the U.N. Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders," the leaders said. "These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them."
"Greenland belongs to its people," the statement added. "It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland."
Later Tuesday, the White House said Trump had not ruled out military options.
"President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it's vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region," the statement said. "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."
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday that "Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place." While Russia and China have expanded Arctic activity, the United States maintains a long-standing military presence on Greenland, including Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base), visited last year by Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha.
Administration officials have also pointed to Greenland's potential reserves of critical minerals as a strategic consideration.
The Trump administration's National Security Strategy identifies Western Hemisphere dominance as a top priority, a focus underscored by recent U.S. military actions in Venezuela and earlier remarks by Trump about Canada becoming the 51st state.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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