US ramps up Greenland rhetoric, as Beijing criticizes 'China threat' talk

US discussing range of options: White House

The White House said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump is discussing options for acquiring Greenland, including potential use of the US military, in a revival of his ambition to control the strategic island despite European objections.

Trump sees acquiring Greenland as a US national security priority necessary to "deter our adversaries in the Arctic region," the White House said in a statement.

"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," the White House said.

A US military seizure of Greenland from a longtime ally, Denmark, would send shock waves through the NATO alliance and deepen the divide between Trump and European leaders.

China urges US not to use its name in vain

In recent months, the US leader has stated that Russian and Chinese ships were "all over" the territory's coast. 

The Chinese foreign ministry has hit back, with spokesman Lin Jian telling a briefing: "We urge the US to stop using the so-called 'China threat' as a pretext for itself to seek selfish gains."

Aaja Chemnitz, who represents Greenland in the Danish parliament, agreed, accusing Trump of "spreading lies about Chinese and Russian warships".

US openly discussing its options

A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, told Reuters that Trump and his advisers are discussing a variety of ways to acquire Greenland.

Those options include the outright US purchase of Greenland or forming a Compact of Free Association with the territory, the official said. A COFA agreement would stop short of Trump's ambition to make the island of 57,000 people a part of the United States.

The official did not provide a potential purchase price.

"Diplomacy is always the president's first option with anything, and dealmaking. He loves deals. So if a good deal can be struck to acquire Greenland, that would definitely be his first instinct," the official said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers that recent administration threats against Greenland did not signal an imminent invasion and that the goal is to buy the island from Denmark during a classified briefing for congressional leaders, two sources familiar with the briefing said.

Denmark warns of existential threat to NATO 

Denmark's prime minister warned that any US move to take Greenland by force would destroy 80 years of transatlantic security links.

In Copenhagen, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told the TV2 network: "If the United States decides to military attack another NATO country, then everything would stop – that includes NATO and therefore post-World War II security."

On social media, Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen told Trump to back off, writing: "That's enough now. No more pressure. No more insinuations. No more fantasies of annexation."

"We are open to dialogue," he added. "But this must happen through the proper channels and with respect for international law."

On Monday, Nielsen called for renewed contact with the US and urged against panic.

Greenland has repeatedly said it does not want to be part of the United States. 

Reaction from Europe

The controversy drew statements of support from around Europe. EU foreign policy spokesperson Anitta Hipper told reporters the bloc was committed to defending the territorial integrity of its members.

Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain earlier joined Denmark in a statement saying that they would defend the "universal principles" of "sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders".

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said "only Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark" could decide the territory's future – sentiments reflected in statements from the leaders of Finland, Sweden and Norway.

France said it is working with partners on a plan on how to respond should the United States act on its threat to take over Greenland, a minister said on Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the subject would be raised at a meeting with the foreign ministers of Germany and Poland later in the day.

"We want to take action, but we want to do so together with our European partners," he said on France Inter radio.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he did not believe that the United States would move to "violate" Denmark's sovereignty.

"I cannot imagine a scenario in which the United States of America would be placed in a position to violate Danish sovereignty," Macron told France 2. 

Opposition within US Congress

Members of the US Congress, including some of Trump's fellow Republicans, pushed back against the administration's comments, noting that NATO member Denmark has been a loyal US ally.

"When Denmark and Greenland make it clear that Greenland is not for sale, the United States must honor its treaty obligations and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark," Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, the co-chairs of the Senate NATO Observer Group, said in a statement.

In addition, Blake Moore and Steny H. Hoyer, co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Friends of Denmark Caucus, released a statement calling "saber-rattling about annexing Greenland needlessly dangerous."

It continued: "The Kingdom of Denmark is a NATO ally and one of America's closest partners. An attack on Greenland – a crucial part of that alliance – would tragically be an attack on NATO... The last thing America needs is a civil war among NATO that endangers our security and our way of life."

Problems with any US imperial move

Trump's designs on the autonomous Danish territory focus on its untapped rare earth deposits which could become more accessible as polar ice melts, opening up new shipping routes.

Administration officials say the island is crucial to the US due to its deposits of minerals important for high-tech and military applications. 

The White House may see Greenland's resources as a potential way to seek dominance in the rare earth industry. 

However, many experts believe that utilizing the resources will be problematic. In addition to Greenland's harsh climate, isolated terrain and basic infrastructure, the quality of rare-earth-bearing rock is believed to be far inferior to concentrations found at existing mines elsewhere.

Mathan Somasundaram, founder and CEO of Deep Data Analytics, told CNBC: "The reality is that with weather, it is very hard to do and not very economical. Even if you mined it, then you have to send it to China for processing… In the medium to long term, it makes nearly no difference."