WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said the United States wants to have Greenland and will get control over it in this or that form. At ...
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said the United States wants to have Greenland and will get control over it in this or that form.
At a meeting with oil industry executives, Trump was asked about the costs of making Greenland a part of the United States.
"I'm not talking about money for Greenland. Yet, I might talk about that, but right now, we are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not, because if we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we're not going to have Russia or China as a neighbor," Trump replied.
"I would like to make a deal of, you know, the easy way, but if we don't do it the easy way, we're going to do it the hard way," the US leader added.
When asked to explain why he wants to make Greenland a part of the United States if Washington has the opportunity to take practically all military actions on the island and in surrounding waters, Trump replied: "Because when we own it, we defend it. You don't defend leases the same way, you have to own it."
Trump, has repeatedly stated that Greenland should join the US. He did not rule out the use of force to resolve the issue in an interview with NBC News in early May 2025. US Vice President JD Vance said in late March last year that the US government expects Greenland to gain independence and then peacefully join the United States. According to Vance, Washington would not resort to military force in that case.
However, on January 6, the White House, in a written statement provided to Reuters, commented on plans regarding Greenland, stressing that "of course, utilizing the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief's disposal," meaning it is available to Trump.
In turn, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified on January 7 that Trump is actively discussing the possibility of purchasing Greenland with his subordinates.
Greenland is part of Denmark as an autonomous territory. In 1951, Washington and Copenhagen signed the Greenland Defense Agreement in addition to their NATO alliance obligations. Under this treaty, the US undertook to defend the island against possible aggression.
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