U.S. Senators Push to Limit Trump’s Authority Over Greenland Amid Global Concerns

Democratic and Republican U.S. senators said Wednesday that the Senate is likely to vote on legislation aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s authority to use military force in an attempt to seize Greenland from Denmark, a long-standing U.S. ally. The move comes as Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in gaining control of the mineral-rich Arctic island, raising alarms among U.S. lawmakers and international partners.

The renewed debate over presidential war powers intensified after the United States sparked global controversy by sending special forces to seize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro over the weekend. That action led lawmakers to question whether similar unilateral military moves could follow elsewhere, including Greenland. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, a Democrat who has long worked to restrict presidents’ use of military force without congressional approval, said multiple war powers resolutions are expected to be introduced.

Kaine indicated that proposed resolutions could cover countries and regions such as Greenland, Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, and Nigeria. While he may not lead all of them, he said he would likely co-sponsor and spearhead several efforts. His comments came ahead of a Senate vote expected Thursday on whether to halt further U.S. military action in Venezuela without explicit approval from Congress.

Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who is co-sponsoring the Venezuela resolution, said he remains open to supporting additional war powers measures. Paul noted that he has not heard fellow Republicans endorse military action to take Greenland and described such threats as counterproductive. He argued that if the administration truly wanted to acquire Greenland, diplomatic outreach and economic incentives would be far more effective than military pressure.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he plans to meet with Danish leaders next week to discuss Greenland. However, he did not signal a retreat from Trump’s ambitions, as allies such as France and Germany reportedly work on coordinated responses. Citing the U.S. Constitution, lawmakers from both parties continue to stress that only Congress has the authority to declare war, underscoring growing tension between the legislative and executive branches over foreign policy and military power.