The United States needs to own Greenland to prevent Russia or China from entering it in the future, President Donald Trump said on Friday.
“We’re going to do something in Greenland whether they like it or not. Because if we don’t, Russia or China will take Greenland, and we won’t have Russia or China as neighbors,” Trump told reporters at the White House during a meeting with oil company executives.
“I would like to make an agreement in an easy way, but if we don’t do it in an easy way, we will do it in a hard way,” he added, apparently referring to possible military action.
Trump said the US should get Greenland, even though it already has troops on the island under the 1951 treaty, because such treaties are not enough to guarantee Greenland’s defense. The island of 57,000 people is a sovereign territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, but the agreement allows the US to expand its military presence as it sees fit.
“You’re protecting ownership. You’re not protecting leases. And we’re going to have to protect Greenland. If we don’t, China or Russia will. It’s not going to happen,” Trump said.
Get daily world news
Get the day’s top news, politics, economics, and current affairs, delivered to your inbox once a day.
Trump and White House officials have been discussing various plans to bring Greenland under US control, including the possible use of US troops and cash payments to Greenlanders as part of an effort to convince them to secede from Denmark and join the US.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters and lawmakers this week that buying Greenland is a top idea being considered.
But Trump, when asked on Friday how much money the US would like to spend, said he “hasn’t talked about Greenland money,” although he said that could be raised in the future.
Leaders in Copenhagen and across Europe have reacted defiantly in recent days to comments by Trump and other White House officials asserting their right to Greenland. The US and Denmark are NATO allies bound by a mutual defense treaty.
On Tuesday, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Britain and Denmark issued a joint statement, saying that only Greenland and Denmark can decide matters regarding their relationship.
Foreign policy experts said that the US would not gain any additional national security benefits by taking Greenland compared to the existing agreement and cooperation with NATO.
They warned forcing Greenland away from Denmark would “disintegrate forever” the western military alliance.
Trump says he still supports NATO but added on Friday that “NATO has to understand” his position on Greenland.
Rubio is expected to meet next week with Danish officials to discuss Greenland.
Trump, in a New York Times interview published Thursday, said he should own all of Greenland instead of expanding its presence under the existing agreement.
“I think ownership gives you something you can’t do, you’re talking about a lease or a contract. Ownership gives you things and things you can’t get by signing a letter,” Trump told the newspaper.
-With additional files from Global News and the Associated Press
