A US takeover of Greenland is currently the only way to address the long-term security risks surrounding the island which is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, a senior US official said on Sunday.
"We still think that's the best way to meet the defense needs of NATO with respect to Greenland," he told reporters ahead of the NATO summit on Tuesday and Wednesday in Turkey.
Still, he said, other options are being examined, though he did not say what those were.
The senior government official pointed to busy naval activity in the region around Greenland and said President Donald Trump was seeking a solution that will last beyond his presidency.
"And as of now, the only solution that we found as to how to solve that is with the United States acquiring Greenland," the official said.
Trump's open claims of ownership shocked NATO partners
Earlier this year, Trump openly threatened to take over the strategically important Arctic island, not only alienating NATO ally Denmark but also raising doubts about the cohesion of the world's largest military alliance. His justification was that the territory belonging to Denmark would otherwise not be safe from Russia and China and was therefore a problem for US security interests.
Trump later withdrew the threat to use military means if necessary and dropped the announcement of punitive tariffs against European countries if they did not agree to sell the island to the US. However, he stuck to his claims to the island.
The governments of Denmark and Greenland firmly reject US annexation. They have now begun talks with Trump's administration with the aim of finding a compromise.