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U.S. President Donald Trump said he would make a new announcement on Greenland within 20 days, renewing speculation over Washington’s intentions toward the Danish autonomous territory and prompting strong reactions from European leaders.
Speaking to reporters, Trump repeated his claim that the United States has an urgent need for Greenland, alleging that Russian and Chinese vessels are present around the island.
Asked whether the United States would take concrete action, Trump replied only: “In 20 days,” further increasing uncertainty.
The White House later confirmed that Trump is reviewing a range of options to secure control over Greenland, including the possible use of military force.
In a statement to the BBC, the White House described Greenland’s annexation as a “national security priority.”
The statement said the president and his team are evaluating “various options to achieve this important foreign policy objective,” adding that the use of the U.S. military is among the options being discussed.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said senior administration officials are also considering purchasing Greenland from Denmark or establishing a “Free Association Agreement” for the island.
“President Donald Trump has made it clear that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority for the United States and vital to deterring our adversaries in the Arctic,” Leavitt said, noting that military action remains “a option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal.”
Trump’s deputy policy and homeland security adviser Stephen Miller said Washington’s official position is that Greenland should become part of the United States.
Speaking to CNN, Miller argued that no country would go to war with the U.S. over the issue and questioned Denmark’s authority over the territory.
“The fundamental question is this: What is Denmark’s right to claim control over Greenland?” Miller said, challenging the basis of Denmark’s territorial claim and its historical control.
Miller’s wife, right-wing podcaster Katie Miller, posted an image of Greenland overlaid with the colors of the U.S. flag on the social media platform X, adding the word “SOON.”
The post drew strong backlash, particularly from Denmark.
Trump’s remarks triggered a joint response from European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
In their joint statement, the leaders said: “Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland. Decisions concerning Denmark and Greenland can only be taken by Denmark and Greenland.”
The statement emphasized that sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders are universal principles and stressed that Greenland is part of NATO territory under Denmark’s protection.
Frederiksen rejected Trump’s remarks, saying the United States has no right to annex any part of Denmark and calling on Washington to stop its threats.
She noted that Denmark, and therefore Greenland, is a NATO member and benefits from the alliance’s security guarantees.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen also firmly dismissed the annexation rhetoric, writing: “Enough is enough. No more pressure. No more hints. No more annexation fantasies.”
Nielsen said Greenland remains open to dialogue and discussion, but only through appropriate channels and in line with international law.
Trump has repeatedly described Greenland as “highly strategic,” citing national security concerns and alleging that the island is surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships.
The Arctic island hosts a U.S. military base and is rich in mineral resources, including rare earth elements critical for advanced technologies.
Greenland has a population of about 57,000 and has been under Danish control since the early 18th century. The island gained autonomy in 1979, though foreign and security policy remain under Copenhagen’s authority.
While many Greenlanders support independence from Denmark, opinion polls show a strong majority of the island’s population opposes joining the United States.
Responding to criticism that his remarks amount to interference in sovereignty and resemble the Iraq invasion, Trump said the difference was economic control.
“The difference between this and Iraq is that Bush didn’t keep the oil. We will keep the oil,” he said.
Trump also repeated harsh remarks about Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, calling him “a violent man” and accusing him of killing millions of people.
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