Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is pushing back forcefully against any suggestion of using U.S. military power to acquire Greenland, saying he would work to stop such an effort as talk inside the White House escalates over the Arctic territory’s future.
Paul: No Military Takeover
In an interview on “CBS Mornings,” Paul said he would oppose any attempt to take Greenland by force.
“It won’t happen under my watch. I will do everything to stop any kind of military takeover of Greenland,” he said.
Paul argued that if the United States wants Greenland, the only viable path is voluntary and diplomatic. “What I can tell you though is if you want to purchase Greenland, the best way would be to try and have goodwill with the people,” he added.
He suggested any change in Greenland’s status would likely involve a vote by Greenland’s residents on independence from Denmark—“which I think the people are inclined to do”—followed by “some sort of offer, something that makes it better to be part of the United States.”
To make his case, Paul pointed to past territorial acquisitions he described as peaceful, including the Louisiana Purchase and the purchase of Alaska. He also warned that provocation would undermine diplomacy.
“But you didn’t get those purchases like any deal or diplomacy by insulting your opponent,” Paul said. “You get there by actually trying to please and get your opponent to agree to this, because it would have to be done voluntarily.”
Paul ended by saying he believes a military approach would attract little support in the Senate. “So I see no scenario in which military—I or really, for that matter, any of my colleagues in the Senate would support a military takeover of Greenland. I think that’s bluster, but at the same time, I don’t think it’s constructive.”
White House Signals “Range of Options”
The White House has continued to amplify discussion about acquiring Greenland, with President Trump raising the issue publicly during a meeting with oil and gas executives.
“I’m not talking about money for Greenland yet, I might talk about that but right now we are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not because if we don’t do it Russia or China will take over Greenland and we’re not gonna have Russia or China as a neighbor,” Trump said.
He added: “I would like to make a deal, you know, the easy way. But if we don’t do it the easy way, we’re gonna do it the hard way.” Trump also argued that ownership is essential to long-term security: “Because when we own it, we defend it. You don’t defend leases the same way. You have to own.”
In a separate White House statement, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration is discussing “a range of options” tied to what she called a national security priority, adding that “utilizing the U.S. Military is always an option at the Commander in Chief’s disposal.”
The Greenland debate follows claims that the U.S. military entered Venezuela and captured Nicolás Maduro, alongside Trump’s assertion that the U.S. will run the country for now.
