The White House has confirmed that US President Donald Trump and senior members of his administration are “actively” considering a proposal to purchase Greenland, the autonomous Danish territory, reigniting controversy over the Arctic island’s future.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday that the idea was currently under serious discussion within the administration.
“This is something that is being actively discussed by the president and his national security team,” Leavitt said.
Both Greenlandic and Danish officials have repeatedly stated that the territory is not for sale.
When questioned about earlier remarks suggesting the Trump administration had not ruled out the use of military force to acquire Greenland, Leavitt responded that while all options remain available to any US president, diplomacy remains Trump’s preferred approach.
“President Trump’s first option has always been diplomacy,” she said.
Renewed concerns over Greenland’s status have intensified following Trump’s unilateral decision last Saturday to use US military force in Venezuela to detain President Nicolás Maduro. Denmark, a Nato ally of the United States, has warned that any attack on its territory would automatically dissolve its participation in the military alliance.
The Trump administration maintains that Greenland plays a crucial role in US national security.
Although it is the world’s most sparsely populated territory, Greenland’s strategic position between North America and the Arctic makes it critical for missile early-warning systems and for monitoring maritime activity in the region.
The US has operated Pituffik Space Base — previously known as Thule Air Base — in northwestern Greenland since the Second World War.
Interest in Greenland’s vast natural resources has also grown in recent years. Melting ice caused by climate change has made access easier to rare earth minerals, uranium and iron. Scientists also believe the island may hold significant oil and gas reserves beneath its territory.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that he plans to hold discussions with Danish officials next week.
Trump previously floated the idea of buying Greenland during his first term in office in 2019, an offer that was firmly rejected by Denmark.
“The acquisition of Greenland by the United States is not a new concept,” Leavitt said.
She added that Trump has consistently stated — publicly and privately — that acquiring the territory would serve US interests by countering Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic.
“The president has been very clear with the American people and with the world that he believes this is in the best interest of the United States,” she said. “That is why his team is currently exploring what a potential purchase might look like.”
Earlier this week, the White House acknowledged that Trump had been considering multiple paths toward acquiring Greenland, including the possibility of military action.
“All options are always on the table for President Trump as he evaluates what best serves the United States,” Leavitt said.
Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said earlier on Wednesday that Rubio had assured him during a phone call that a US invasion of Greenland had been ruled out.
Barrot is expected to raise the issue with his German and Polish counterparts later the same day. On Tuesday, several European leaders issued a unified statement expressing their support for Denmark.
“Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people, and decisions regarding its future can only be made by Denmark and Greenland,” said leaders from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark in a joint declaration.
While emphasising their shared commitment with the United States to maintaining security in the Arctic, the European leaders said such efforts must be carried out collectively through Nato.
They also stressed the importance of respecting international law, including the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders enshrined in the United Nations Charter.
Adding to the controversy, Katie Miller — the wife of one of Trump’s senior advisers — posted an image of Greenland on social media the day after the US military operation in Venezuela. The map was coloured with the US flag and featured the word “SOON.”
Her husband, Stephen Miller, said on Monday that it was “the official position of the US government” that Greenland should ultimately become part of the United States.
Aaja Chemnitz, one of Greenland’s two representatives in the Danish parliament, told the BBC that the remarks coming from Washington amounted to “a clear threat.”
“It is deeply disrespectful for the United States to refuse to rule out annexing our country and to openly discuss taking over the territory of a Nato ally,” she said.
Chemnitz added that she believes an outright takeover remains unlikely. Instead, she suggested the US would seek to exert long-term pressure on Greenland to gradually expand its influence.
“What we are likely to see is sustained pressure designed to take control over time,” she said.
On the ground in Greenland, reactions are mixed. Aleqatsiaq Peary, a 42-year-old Inuit hunter from the remote northern town of Qaanaaq, expressed indifference toward the idea of US ownership.
“To me, it would just mean switching from one master to another — from one occupier to another,” he told the BBC. “We are already a colony under Denmark, and we lose a great deal by being governed from Copenhagen.”
Peary said he had little interest in Trump’s ambitions, adding that local residents were focused on more immediate struggles.
“People here are in need,” he said. “We hunt with dogs on the sea ice and fish for our livelihoods, but the ice is melting. Hunters can no longer survive the way we once did.”
