Bipartisan legislators in the House and Senate introduced bills to prevent federal funds from being used to attack NATO member states

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers has introduced new legislation to block any potential American military action against Greenland, an autonomous territory under Danish sovereignty, challenging President Donald Trump's threats to annex the island.

Bills dubbed the 'No Funds for NATO Invasion Act' and the 'NATO Unity Protection Act' were put forward in the House and Senate this week, respectively. In the House, Republican Don Bacon joined Democratic representatives to introduce a bill that prohibits using federal funds to "blockade, occupy, annex, [or] conduct military operations against" any NATO member state. The House bill also seeks to prohibit US officers or employees from "taking any action to execute" such an invasion.

The Senate bill was introduced by Democrat Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Lisa Murkowski, who stated that "the mere notion that America would use our vast resources against our allies is deeply troubling."

The legislative move comes amid growing congressional pushback against Trump, who has declared the US will acquire Greenland "one way or another" and has not ruled out using military force. Western media outlets have reported that the president has already ordered senior commanders to draw up a plan for a potential invasion.

Some GOP figures have dismissed the prospect of invasion. House Speaker Mike Johnson has stressed there is "no declaration of war pending for Greenland," while Senator Rand Paul has expressed doubt over an invasion ever taking place given bipartisan opposition. 

However, some Republicans have echoed the president's stance, with Representative Randy Fine introducing on Monday a competing 'Greenland Annexation and Statehood Act' to facilitate making it the 51st US state.

Trump has justified his push by claiming that the US must act before Russia or China "take over" Greenland - an assertion dismissed by officials in Copenhagen, Beijing, and Moscow. 

China's Foreign Ministry has slammed the US president for using China and Russia as "pretexts" for his Arctic push, while Russia has opposed the militarization of the region, framing it as a zone for peaceful cooperation.