White House floats military action over Greenland

Wednesday 07 January 2026 - 08:20

By: Dakir Madiha

White House floats military action over Greenland

The White House confirmed on Tuesday that President Donald Trump is exploring “various possibilities” to acquire Greenland, including the potential use of US armed forces, in a statement that has sharpened a diplomatic crisis threatening to split NATO just days after American forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt’s remarks represent the administration’s most explicit acknowledgment to date that military force remains on the table for the Danish territory, prompting swift backlash from European capitals.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned on Monday that any US attack on Greenland would signal “the end of NATO” and the postwar security framework. “If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops, including NATO,” Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster TV2, articulating fears that such a move would shatter the alliance’s core principles of collective defence. Her stark assessment has resonated across Europe as leaders grapple with the implications of a major ally contemplating aggression against a fellow member.

The crisis has escalated since the US military operation on 3 January in Venezuela, where special forces captured Maduro in a predawn raid. Trump has since linked the two situations, telling reporters on Sunday that “we need Greenland from a national security point of view” and dismissing Denmark’s defence capabilities for the island. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller doubled down on Monday, asserting that Greenland “should obviously” be part of the United States and questioning Denmark’s territorial claim. “No one is going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland,” Miller told CNN, further inflaming tensions.

European leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain joined Denmark in a rare joint statement on Tuesday, declaring that territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders are “universal principles.” Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen thanked the allies while urging the United States to “seek respectful dialogue through appropriate diplomatic and political channels.” Denmark and Greenland have requested an urgent meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to address the mounting strains.

In Washington, Senator Ruben Gallego introduced a war powers resolution on Tuesday aimed at blocking any invasion attempt, cautioning that Trump could “invade another country on a whim.” The measure, which can force a Senate vote under special procedural rules, faces long odds in a Republican controlled chamber but highlights divisions even within the US political establishment over the risks of military adventurism. As the rhetoric intensifies, the standoff tests not only transatlantic ties but also the endurance of NATO’s foundational commitments amid shifting global power dynamics.