WASHINGTON

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers Tuesday that President Donald Trump aims to buy Greenland from Denmark and is not planning an imminent military invasion, according to a media report.

Rubio made the remarks during a closed briefing, playing down the idea that the US could seize Greenland by force, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the discussions.

Sen. Lindsey Graham said the administration’s approach to Greenland “is all about negotiations,” adding that the US needs “legal control and legal protections” to justify building up the territory and putting Americans on the ground, according to the report.

Meanwhile, the White House said on Tuesday that the Trump administration was discussing a "range of options" for acquiring Greenland, including utilizing the US military.

"President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in response to Anadolu's inquiry.

"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," Leavitt added.

The statement came following Trump's repeated proposals to acquire the island for strategic purposes.

A day after the US military operation in Venezuela that captured President Nicolas Maduro Saturday, Trump renewed his call for a takeover of Greenland in the interest of "national security."

“We need Greenland, from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it,” he had said when asked about any potential US action against Greenland.

Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and has repeatedly rejected proposals suggesting any transfer of sovereignty to the US.

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has urged Trump to "stop the threats."