European leaders warn that US threats over Greenland could fracture NATO and global security

The White House has escalated tensions with Europe after confirming that the use of US military force remains an option in Donald Trump’s renewed push to acquire Greenland.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president and his advisers were exploring a range of options to secure control of the Arctic territory, describing it as a national security priority for the United States. She added that military action was “always an option” available to the commander in chief.

The remarks triggered swift and forceful opposition from European leaders, who warned that any attempt to seize Greenland would violate sovereignty and threaten the foundations of Nato.

In a joint statement, the leaders of France, Germany, Britain and other European nations stood alongside Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, asserting that Greenland’s future could only be decided by Denmark and Greenland itself. They stressed that Arctic security remained a shared Nato responsibility and rejected any suggestion of unilateral action.

“Greenland belongs to its people,” the statement said. “It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”

Greenland’s government responded by requesting an urgent meeting with the US Secretary of State and Denmark’s foreign minister to address what it described as misleading claims made by Washington about the territory.

Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, said the meeting would provide an opportunity to correct assertions that Russia and China were operating extensively around Greenland or exerting heavy influence through investments. He told Danish media that such claims did not reflect reality.

Denmark’s defence minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, also pushed back against Trump’s remarks, stating that Denmark had invested billions in strengthening Greenland’s security, countering the suggestion that the country had done little more than deploy “one more dog sledge.

Frederiksen has previously warned that any US attack on a Nato ally would signal the collapse of the post-Second World War security order. She said such an action would represent the end of the military alliance itself.

Trump’s comments have reignited a long-running controversy that many European leaders had previously dismissed or treated lightly. However, the arrest of Venezuela’s president by US forces days earlier has sharpened concerns about how far Washington might be willing to go.

Greenland has repeatedly stated that it does not wish to become part of the United States. Public support for a military seizure is also low in the US, with polling showing only a small minority backing such an action.

White House officials have offered conflicting signals. Deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller claimed military intervention would not be necessary, arguing that no country would challenge the US over Greenland. However, his remarks were followed by renewed controversy after a social media post from his wife appeared to suggest an imminent takeover.

Behind closed doors, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly told lawmakers that the administration would prefer to purchase Greenland rather than invade it.

Greenland’s strategic importance has grown as melting ice opens new shipping routes and heightens competition between global powers. The US already operates a military base on the island, which lies between North America and Russia.

In Europe, the reaction has been increasingly blunt. Britain’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, reaffirmed that Greenland’s future must be decided solely by Denmark and Greenland, warning against any breach of Nato solidarity.

In Washington, senior Republicans sought to downplay the likelihood of military action, saying such a scenario was not being seriously considered. Others acknowledged Trump’s refusal to rule out force but emphasised Greenland’s status as a Nato partner.

Democrats, however, urged caution. Senator Ruben Gallego introduced legislation to block funding for any military action against Greenland, warning that the armed forces should not be used to advance personal ambition.

As tensions rise, the episode has exposed deep unease among US allies over Washington’s direction and raised fresh questions about the stability of international alliances in an increasingly volatile world.