Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers that President Trump plans to buy Greenland rather than invade it, according to US officials cited in the report. Rubio made the remarks during a briefing with lawmakers from the main armed services and foreign policy committees in both chambers.

The briefing was primarily focused on Venezuela, but lawmakers raised questions about Greenland after aggressive public remarks by Trump and comments by senior aide Stephen Miller, according to officials described in the report. Rubio did not provide details on what a purchase would look like.

The report says Trump asked aides the same day to deliver an updated plan for acquiring Greenland. Reuters separately reported that Trump and advisers were discussing multiple approaches, including an outright purchase or a Compact of Free Association arrangement, citing a senior US official speaking about internal deliberations.

The White House did not rule out military force

The White House issued a statement saying acquiring Greenland is a national security priority and that using the US military is always an option available to the commander in chief. Reuters reported the same language and noted Greenland has repeatedly said it does not want to be part of the United States.

The report recounts Trump telling reporters that Greenland was covered with Russian and Chinese ships. It also notes that while Russia and China are active in the Arctic, Greenland is not surrounded by their ships, and the United States already has a military base on the island.

Leaders of six NATO countries issued a joint statement backing Denmark and Greenland and emphasizing principles including sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of borders. The statement also said Greenland belongs to its people and that only Denmark and Greenland should decide matters concerning Denmark and Greenland. The Washington Post reported Denmark’s prime minister warned that a US move against Greenland would threaten the future of NATO.

Why Greenland is strategically important in this reporting

The report points to two main drivers repeatedly cited by US officials and Trump. One is national security and Arctic positioning, including deterrence of adversaries in the region. The other is Greenland’s potential critical minerals, described as relevant for high tech and military applications.

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