Trump's brutal 3-word threat to take Greenland by military force leaves Europe reeling

European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, issued an unusual public criticism of the White House after President Donald Trump stated that using the U.S. military is “always an option.”

The White House confirmed on Tuesday that Trump and his administration are considering multiple strategies to secure Greenland, with military intervention remaining a possible course of action. This follows comments from a senior Trump adviser hinting that the United States could take control of the Arctic territory by force, prompting a rare show of European unity in defense of Denmark and Greenland.

According to the White House, “President Trump has emphasized that acquiring Greenland is a critical national security priority for the United States, essential for deterring adversaries in the Arctic. The administration is reviewing various approaches to achieve this foreign policy objective, and military action remains within the president’s options.”

In response, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz jointly reaffirmed that Greenland, a semi-autonomous region of Denmark, “belongs to its people,” marking a notable European challenge to U.S. intentions.

The leaders’ statement, issued Tuesday along with the prime ministers of Denmark, Italy, Poland, and Spain, stressed, “Decisions regarding Greenland are the sovereign right of Denmark and Greenland alone.” Starmer further reiterated Britain’s support for Denmark during a Paris press conference attended by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

“I’ve made our position clear, and so has the U.K. government,” Starmer stated firmly.

Meanwhile, Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy, downplayed the need for military action, telling CNN that “nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over Greenland” and suggesting that the territory’s small population reduces the likelihood of conflict.

Trump had previously insisted that America “needs Greenland very badly,” sparking renewed concerns over a possible U.S. move to control the resource-rich Arctic region, home to oil, gas, and rare earth minerals, as melting ice opens new opportunities.

This comes shortly after a controversial U.S. military operation in Venezuela, where on January 3, forces captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Trump justified the action by citing drug-trafficking allegations and claimed that the U.S. would “run the country until a safe, proper, and judicious transition” could occur.