On January 7, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that he would meet with Danish leaders next week, and sent a signal that Washington should not back down before President Donald Trump's goal of gaining control of Greenland.
A US military campaign last weekend to arrest Venezuelan leaders has raised more concerns about Washington's intentions towards Greenland, in the context that US officials have hardly made any moves to reassure allies.
Foreign Minister Marco Rubio told reporters that Mr. Trump is still leaving open the possibility of achieving the goal by military means, but emphasized: "As a diplomat, as we are doing now, we always prioritize other solutions - which has also been applied in the case of Venezuela.
The statement was made when he was asked if the US was willing to risk damaging the US-led NATO military alliance by taking over Greenland by force.
According to observers, if the US seizes Greenland - a mineral-rich island in the Arctic - from Denmark, a long-time ally, this move will shock NATO and deepen disagreements between Mr. Trump and European leaders.
The issue also faced reactions in the US Congress, when senators from both the Democratic and Republican parties said they expected the Senate to consider and vote on a bill to limit Mr. Trump's ability to seize Greenland.
