Trump threatens to use US military to acquire Greenland in shocking White House statement
Trump has said taking over Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, is vital for his country's national security.
Donald Trump wants to buy Greenland but admits using the US military to acquire the territory is an option, the White House has confirmed.
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The statement released to Reuters said the President is discussing a range of methods for acquiring Greenland, stating that the goal is a "national security priority".
The response read: "President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it's vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region.
"The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilising the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief's disposal."
Reports also suggested forming a compact of free association with the island is an option being considered by Mr Trump.
Read More: Trump 'wants deals not wars' and could reach Greenland agreement without force, former advisor says
The statement added that Trump is intent on acquiring the territory before the end of his term in 2029 and that the issue "is not going away" amid objections from other NATO leaders.
The new statement came are Mr Trump said the operation in Venezuela to remove President Nicolas Maduro proves the US has "the most powerful, most lethal, most sophisticated" military in the world.
Speaking at the House Republican Party (GOP) member retreat on Tuesday, the president warned "nobody can take us".
He said: "It's [the most] fearsome military on planet Earth, and it's not even close. You know, I've been saying it for a long time. Nobody can take us."
The US bombed Venezuela on Saturday before forces took Maduro and flew him to New York where he is facing drugs and weapons charges.
Speaking of the operation, Trump said: "They knew we were coming... the electricity for almost the entire country was turned off.
"That's when they knew there was a problem. There was no electricity... So we sort of got them a little by surprise, but it was a brilliant. It was brilliant tactically. It was an incredible thing."
Sir Keir Starmer and European counterparts have said they will "not stop defending" Greenland's territorial integrity in the face of continued threats from Trump to annex it.
The Prime Minister and leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark called the US, as a Nato ally, an "essential partner" in defending Arctic security and stressed that Greenland "belongs to its people" in a joint statement.
One of Trump's senior aides said on Monday that nobody would mount a military fight against the US to defend Greenland.
Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that efforts to take over the territory by force would mean the end of the Nato military alliance.
Sir Keir and the other leaders said: "Nato has made clear that the Artic region is a priority and European allies are stepping up.
"We and many other allies have increased our presence, activities and investments, to keep the Arctic safe and to deter adversaries.
"The Kingdom of Denmark - including Greenland - is part of Nato.
"Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with Nato allies including the United States, by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders.
"These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them."