Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has firmly opposed any U.S. military action to acquire Greenland, vowing to block such efforts amid escalating White House discussions on the Arctic territory’s future.
Paul’s Strong Opposition to Military Action
In an interview on “CBS Mornings,” Paul declared his commitment to preventing force. “It won’t happen under my watch. I will do everything to stop any kind of military takeover of Greenland,” he said.
He emphasized that any acquisition should be 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,” Paul added. He noted that it would likely require a vote by Greenland’s residents for 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.”
Paul drew historical parallels, citing peaceful U.S. territorial expansions: “We have acquired territory—I mean, half the United States came to us through the Louisiana Purchase. Alaska came to us through a purchase. But you didn’t get those purchases like any deal or diplomacy by insulting your opponent. You get there by actually trying to please and get your opponent to agree to this, because it would have to be done voluntarily.”
He concluded: “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.”
Trump Administration’s Position
The White House has intensified talk of acquiring Greenland following recent developments in Venezuela. During a meeting with oil and gas executives, President Trump stated: “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.”
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 stressed the importance of ownership: “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” for this national security priority, noting that “utilizing the U.S. Military is always an option at the Commander in Chief’s disposal.”
The Greenland debate comes after the U.S. military entered Venezuela and captured Nicolás Maduro, and as Trump says the U.S. will run the country for now.
