Topline
President Donald Trump is seeking to purchase Greenland, according to multiple outlets citing statements made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, preferring that over military action as Denmark’s prime minister warns an attack risks ending the NATO alliance.
The Trump administration has not ruled out the use of military force to gain control of Greenland.
Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
Rubio told lawmakers Trump plans to buy Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Trump, who said last year the U.S. would annex Greenland despite pushback from the territory’s leadership and Denmark, has not ruled out using military force to gain control of Greenland, the Journal reported, citing a statement from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark suggested Monday a U.S. invasion of Greenland would violate decades-old NATO agreements.
Greenland’s ruling Demokraatit party said in March 2025 “we are not for sale…We don’t want to be Americans… We want to be Greenlanders.”
Forbes has reached out to the White House and State Department for comment.
Crucial Quote
“It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland,” a joint statement Tuesday from political leaders of Denmark, the U.K., France and several other countries said.
Key Background
Trump’s longstanding desire for the U.S. to control Greenland has been thrust back into the spotlight after the U.S. launched a military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in the overnight hours early Saturday morning, with observers questioning whether Trump could be emboldened to take action elsewhere. Trump has repeatedly said the U.S. needs control of Greenland for national security, asserting it is vulnerable to Russia and China as long as it remains under Danish oversight.
Antonio Pequeño IV
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