Trump says US needs to ‘own’ Denmark to prevent Russia and China from occupying it

President Donald Trump says the United States needs to “own” Greenland to prevent Russia and China from doing so.

“Countries have to take ownership, you defend the title, you don’t defend the lease, we have to defend Greenland,” Trump told reporters on Friday.

Trump said we’re going to do it “the easy way” or the “hard way.” The White House recently issued a statement saying the administration was considering buying the semi-autonomous territory of NATO member Denmark but would not eliminate the option of annexing it to the United States by force.

Denmark and Greenland have said the territory is not for sale. Denmark said military action would lead to the end of the transatlantic defense alliance.

Although Greenland is the most sparsely populated region, its location between North America and the Arctic makes it ideal for setting up an early warning system in the event of a missile attack and monitoring ships in the area.

The U.S. president has repeatedly said Greenland is vital to U.S. national security and claimed without evidence that Greenland is “infested with Russian and Chinese ships.”

The United States already has more than 100 military personnel permanently stationed at Pitufik Base on the northwest tip of Greenland, which has been operated by the United States since World War II.

Under an existing agreement with Denmark, the United States has the right to send as many troops as possible to Greenland.

But Trump told reporters in Washington that the lease agreement wasn’t good enough.

“Countries cannot make a nine-year deal, or even a 100-year deal,” he said, adding that they had to take ownership.

“I love the Chinese people. I love the Russian people,” Trump said. “But I don’t want them to be neighbors of Greenland, that’s not going to happen.”

“NATO has to understand this, by the way,” the US president added.

Denmark’s NATO allies – major European countries as well as Canada – have expressed support this week, issuing statements reiterating that “only Denmark and Greenland can take decisions on issues concerning their relationship”.

They emphasized that they shared the United States’ passion for Arctic security and said this must be achieved “together” with allies, including the United States.

They also called for “upholding the principles of the United Nations Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders.”

Concerns about the future of the region resurfaced after Trump on Saturday used force against Venezuela to capture President Nicolás Maduro.

Trump previously made an offer to buy the island in 2019 during his first term as president, but was told the island was not for sale.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will hold talks with Denmark next week.

There has also been growing interest in Greenland’s natural resources in recent years, including rare earth minerals, uranium and iron, which are becoming increasingly accessible as climate change causes ice and snow to melt. Scientists believe it may also hold significant oil and natural gas reserves.