United States President Donald Trump said America remains committed to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as he holds active discussions to purchase Greenland with his security team.
Trump has long been interested in acquiring Greenland due to its rich mineral resources.
However, this has raised tension with NATO allies as Trump has not ruled out taking over the territory by force.
Greenland is considered part of NATO through its connection to Denmark.
"All options are always on the table for President Trump," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a White House briefing.
"The president's first option always has been diplomacy."
According to Leavitt, an acquisition of Greenland would give the U.S. more control over the Arctic region and the ability to counter aggression in a strategically important area.
"The president has been very open and clear with all of you and with the world that he views it in the best interest of the United States to deter Russian and Chinese aggression in the Arctic region, and so that's why his team is currently talking about what a potential purchase would look like," she said.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said the U.S. would always stand by NATO and that the U.S. is the only reason China and Russia fear the alliance.
“We will always be there for NATO, even if they won’t be there for us,” he said.
This follows Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen urging Trump to stop threatening to take over Greenland, saying that Denmark would continue to protect the territory.
Other European leaders affirmed that Greenland’s future must be determined by its people and Denmark.
