US President Donald Trump considers the acquisition of Greenland a key national security objective, the White House said, a position that has sparked strong criticism from Democrats and raised bipartisan alarm on Capitol Hill over the potential damage such rhetoric could inflict on NATO and global stability.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump has been clear about his view that bringing Greenland under US control is vital to countering adversaries in the Arctic. She added that the administration is examining multiple options to achieve this foreign policy goal and did not rule out the use of the US military, noting that such decisions ultimately rest with the commander in chief.
The remarks intensified backlash from lawmakers, who warned that even floating the idea of military action against Greenland — a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark — could severely strain relations with one of Washington’s closest allies.
In a joint statement, Representatives Blake Moore of Utah and Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Friends of Denmark Caucus, described the rhetoric around annexing Greenland as “needlessly dangerous.” They stressed that Denmark is a NATO ally and a crucial US partner, warning that any attack on Greenland would effectively amount to an attack on the alliance itself.
The lawmakers noted Denmark’s long-standing cooperation with the United States on Arctic security, pointing out that Copenhagen has consistently accommodated US requests to expand its military footprint in Greenland and currently spends 3.3% of its GDP on defence to counter threats from Russia and China.
They also rejected claims that the United States needs to annex Greenland to safeguard its interests, arguing that Washington already enjoys broad access to the territory, including the ability to deploy additional forces and missile defence systems with Danish approval.
Warning of severe consequences, Moore and Hoyer said talk of annexation risks sowing division within NATO, weakening trust among allies and emboldening authoritarian rivals.
Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona sought to address these concerns legislatively, introducing an amendment to the Senate Defence Appropriations bill that would bar the use of federal funds for military action, hostilities or war preparations against Greenland.
Gallego accused Trump of using foreign policy threats as a distraction from domestic challenges, including rising living costs and inflation, and said recent events in Venezuela showed that the president’s rhetoric could not be dismissed as mere posturing. He warned that such behaviour endangers US lives and undermines America’s credibility on the global stage.
Trump has repeatedly reiterated his belief that Greenland should become part of the United States. After claiming that Washington had taken control of Venezuela, he said he “absolutely” intended to pursue Greenland and signalled that the issue would resurface in the near future.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer tied the Greenland comments to wider concerns about the administration’s foreign policy approach. Following a classified briefing, he said officials offered no clear answers about US plans abroad and questioned how far the administration’s confrontational stance might go, warning that it echoed dangerous historical precedents.
Senator Mark Warner also cautioned that any genuine military threat against Denmark would be catastrophic for the transatlantic alliance, saying nothing would damage NATO more than US aggression toward a long-time ally.
Greenland, which hosts key US military installations for Arctic surveillance and missile defence, has grown in strategic importance as climate change opens new shipping routes and heightens competition with Russia and China.
