Trump Says U.S. Must “Own” Greenland to Stop Russia China Influence
President Donald Trump says the United States needs to own Greenland to stop Russia and China from gaining influence there. He argues that countries can only properly defend territory they possess.
«You defend ownership. You don’t defend leases. And we’ll have to defend Greenland. If we don’t do it, China or Russia will,» Trump said.
He said the U.S. would have to defend Greenland and suggested it could be done «the easy way» or «the hard way».
Denmark Greenland and NATO push back
The White House has said the administration is considering buying the semi-autonomous territory from Denmark and has not ruled out annexation by force. Denmark and Greenland have both stated that the territory is not for sale. Copenhagen warned that military action would effectively end the trans-Atlantic defence alliance.
Although Greenland is the world’s most sparsely populated territory, its position between North America and the Arctic gives it strategic value for early missile warning systems and monitoring vessels in the region.
Trump has repeatedly described Greenland as critical to U.S. national security, claiming without evidence that Russian and Chinese ships were operating there extensively.
U.S. military presence already in place
The United States already has more than 100 military personnel stationed at the Pituffik base in north-west Greenland, which has been run by the U.S. since World War Two. Existing agreements with Denmark allow Washington to deploy as many troops as it wishes.
However, Trump said lease arrangements were insufficient, insisting countries must have ownership rather than time-limited agreements. He said he had no issue with the people of Russia or China but did not want either country as a neighbour in Greenland, adding that NATO needed to recognise this position.
Denmark’s NATO allies including major European states and Canada have voiced support for Copenhagen. They stressed that decisions on Greenland can only be made by Denmark and Greenland. They said Arctic security should be handled collectively by allies and in line with the UN Charter’s principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Greenland leaders reject U.S. claims
Concerns over Greenland’s future intensified after Trump authorised military action in Venezuela to seize President Nicolas Maduro. Trump had previously offered to buy Greenland in 2019 during his first term but was told it was not for sale.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is due to hold talks with Denmark next week.
Interest in Greenland’s natural resources has grown in recent years, with minerals and potential oil and gas reserves becoming more accessible as ice melts due to climate change.
In a joint statement, Greenland’s political leaders said the United States must stop disregarding their country. They said Greenlanders did not want to be American or Danish and that the island’s future must be decided by its own people.
