France is working with partners on a plan on how to respond should the United States act on its threat to take over Greenland, Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Wednesday.
Barrot said the subject would be raised at his meeting with the foreign ministers of Germany and Poland later in the day.
The White House said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump is discussing options for acquiring Greenland, including potential use of the US military, in a revival of his ambition to control the strategic island despite European objections.
"The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief's disposal," the White House said.
The White House told Reuters that the president sees acquiring Greenland as a US national security priority necessary to "deter our adversaries in the Arctic region."
Rubio: US looking to buy Greenland, not invade it
Despite the statements, however, Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the remarks did not indicate that an invasion was imminent, but rather that the US was looking to buy Greenland from Denmark, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
Rubio's clarification came during a closed briefing on Monday by senior Trump administration officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine, the outlet noted.