WASHINGTON, Jan 7: President Donald Trump is exploring how to take control of Greenland and using the US military is "always an option," the White House said Tuesday, further upping tensions with NATO ally Denmark.
Washington's stark warning came despite Greenland and Denmark both calling for a speedy meeting with the United States to clear up "misunderstandings."
The US military intervention in Venezuela has reignited Trump's designs on the autonomous Danish territory in the Arctic.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that "acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States," to deter adversaries like Russia and China.
Trump's renewed claims over self-governing Greenland have stoked concerns in Europe that the transatlantic alliance with the United States could be about to fracture.
Earlier, Greenland and Denmark said they had asked to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio quickly to discuss the issue.
Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said meeting Rubio should resolve "certain misunderstandings."
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen again insisted that the island was not for sale and only Greenlanders should decide its future.
His comments came after Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain joined Denmark in saying that they would defend the "universal principles" of "sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders."
Meanwhile, Allies including France and Germany are working closely on a plan on how to respond should the United States act on its threat to take over Greenland, as Europe seeks to address U.S. President Donald Trump's ambitions in the region.
A U.S. military seizure of Greenland from a longtime ally, Denmark, would send shock waves through the NATO alliance and deepen the divide between Trump and European leaders.
A German government source said separately that Germany was "closely working together with other European countries and Denmark on the next steps regarding Greenland".
Leaders from major European powers and Canada have rallied behind Greenland this week, saying the Arctic island belongs to its people, following a renewed threat by Trump to take over the territory.
The White House said on Tuesday that Trump was discussing options for acquiring Greenland, including potential use of the U.S. military, in a revival of his ambition to control the strategic island, despite European objections.
The world's largest island but with a population of just 57,000 people, Greenland is not an independent member of NATO but is covered by Denmark's membership of the Western alliance.
The island is strategically located between Europe and North America, making it a critical site for the U.S. ballistic missile defence system for decades. Its mineral wealth also aligns with Washington's ambition to reduce reliance on China. " AGENCIES
