WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is exploring how to take control of Greenland and using the U.S. military is "always an option," the White House said Tuesday, further upping tensions with NATO ally Denmark. Washington's stark warning came despite Greenland and Denmark both calling for a speedy meeting with the United States to clear up "misunderstandings." The U.S. military intervention in Venezuela has reignited Trump's designs on the autonomous Danish territory in the Arctic, which has untapped rare earth deposits and could be a vital player as melting polar ice opens up new shipping routes. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that "acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States," to deter adversaries like Russia and China. "The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. military is always an option at the commander in chief's disposal," she said in a statement to AFP. Trump's renewed claims over self-governing Greenland have stoked concerns in Euro