Could the US Congress stop Trump from taking Greenland?

President Donald Trump’s push to seize Greenland has sparked a backlash from Republicans in Congress, with lawmakers expressing growing concern about US military interventions abroad.

But it remains unclear whether enough Republicans are willing to join with Democrats to prevent a seizure of the island’s territory, and whether Trump will bow to pressure from Congress, or act alone as he did several times in a second term marked by growing American entanglements abroad.

The focus on Greenland has grown into a broader debate about the Trump administration’s use of unilateral military force, coupled with diplomatic and economic coercion, to project power in Venezuela, Iran and elsewhere around the world.

Republicans have largely supported Trump’s foreign policy agenda since his return to the White House. But now, a growing number are siding with Democrats in Congress and NATO allies who say seizing Greenland would violate U.S. and international law.

In recent days, some Republican leaders have said there is little interest in the United States buying Greenland or seizing it by military force. Some Republican lawmakers also joined Democrats in opposing a new plan by Trump to impose tariffs on countries that do not support his bid to seize control of the region, which is autonomous but controlled by Denmark.

Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina wrote on social media that the proposed tariffs would be “bad for America, bad for American companies, and bad for America’s allies,” adding that the move would benefit China and Russia. “It’s great for Putin, Xi and other adversaries who want to see NATO divided.”

Other Republicans said Trump’s ambition to annex Greenland threatens to undermine NATO – to which the United States and Denmark belong – at a moment of heightened tension between the United States and its European allies.

“Respect for the sovereignty of the people of Greenland must be non-negotiable,” Senator Lisa Murkowski, co-chair of the Senate Arctic Caucus, said in a statement.

Trump said the United States must own the region to be able to better compete with China and Russia in the Arctic, and vowed to seize it “one way or another.”

On Tuesday, the US president played down fears that the issue was damaging NATO when the BBC asked him whether he would like to see the decades-old security alliance collapse as a result of his efforts to control the region. Trump reiterated his view that ownership of Greenland is critical to the security of the United States and the world.

“We need [Greenland] For national security and even global security.

But Trump’s insistence on land is increasingly unpopular on Capitol Hill.

Congress has some options to try to control Trump, if Republicans and Democrats choose to pick a fight with the president over Greenland.

Experts said Congress has budgetary authority and, in theory, would have to approve the funding used to purchase Greenland. Both Denmark and Greenland have insisted that the island is not for sale.

“If Trump wants to buy Greenland, it will take an act of Congress to provide the funds to do so,” said Daniel Schuman, executive director of the American Governance Institute and an expert on congressional action. Shuman added that Congress is unlikely to be able to repurpose existing funding to purchase the district.

However, the administration has expanded the use of executive authority to enact Trump’s agenda on immigration and tariffs, among other issues. Schuman said the administration may try to claim new authority to seize Greenland, allowing it to bypass any barriers imposed by Congress.

Lawmakers concerned about a military incursion into Greenland expressed support for measures that would prohibit any U.S. action without congressional approval. But it is unclear whether the proposals have enough Republican support to pass either chamber of Congress.

Five Senate Republicans joined with Democrats earlier this month to introduce a bill that would have barred the administration from further military action in Venezuela, following the December attack that ousted former President Nicolas Maduro.

The Venezuela War Powers Resolution ultimately failed to pass through the Senate. But it points to growing frustration among Republican and Democratic lawmakers over Trump’s use of military force abroad, after he ran in 2024 on a promise to reduce U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts. Last week, a bipartisan congressional delegation visited Denmark in a symbolic show of support for Greenland.

It is also unclear how the Senate, which ratifies treaties, would respond if the United States reached some sort of agreement with Denmark to seize part or all of Greenland.

The United States has existing arrangements with Denmark established in 1951 that allow the United States to expand its military presence in Greenland. Murkowski and other Republicans have argued that the United States does not need to seize the region to meet national security needs in the region.

It is possible that the Senate could try to thwart Trump by opposing a treaty between the United States and Denmark, if the two countries reach an agreement. Treaties require two-thirds support in the Senate to ratify them, which Republicans do not currently achieve.

Some Republicans have already indicated they would consider breaking with Trump over Greenland. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the former Senate majority leader in Congress, told reporters that US control of the region would “shatter the confidence of allies.”

In the face of growing Republican concern over Greenland, Trump could look to strike a deal that falls short of a formal treaty and does not require Senate approval. But analysts say it is unclear whether presidents have the authority to make such agreements without input from Congress.

“A lot of international agreements are concluded in forms other than treaties, but I doubt that something of this magnitude can be concluded as a pure executive agreement,” said Josh Chaffetz, a professor at Georgetown University Law School.

Trump did not say Tuesday whether he believed he was tied to anything in his quest to reach Greenland. When asked how far he was willing to go, Trump told reporters to stay tuned.

“I think something is going to happen and it’s going to be very good for everyone,” Trump said.

Additional reporting by Kayla Epstein