Europe releases joint statement as US discussing ‘options’ to acquire Greenland

Trump did not rule out military action

European leaders have not been amused by Donald Trump's bullishness outside of his own borders after forcibly removing Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and now threatening to take Greenland.

Greenland is of course an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, which also includes the Faroe Islands.

Since returning to office at the start of 2025, Donald Trump has been pressing for the acquisition of the territory of Greenland.

In the latest development, the White House told the BBC that acquiring Greenland was a "national security priority".

The White House said on Tuesday: "The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the US military is always an option at the Commander-in-Chief's disposal."

These statements come hours after European leaders had expressed support for Denmark.

A statement from the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark read:

On Tuesday, six European allies expressed support for Denmark: "Greenland belongs to its people, and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations."

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the statement and called for "respectful dialogue".

"The dialogue must take place with respect for the fact that Greenland's status is rooted in international law and the principle of territorial integrity," he said.

One of the most notably concerns surrounding the current threats being made by the US is conflict being brought inside of NATO.

Both the US and Denmark, as well as all nations who made the joint statement, are part of the military alliance, leaving many to wonder how a forceful acquisition from the US would play out.

Furthermore, Trump has already proven he is not afraid to intervene, having already done so in Iran and Venezuela.