Donald Trump Says US Needs to ‘Own’ Greenland to Block Russia and China

 Former U.S. President Donald Trump has made a controversial statement saying that the United States must take ownership of Greenland to prevent Russia or China from gaining control of the island. Trump emphasized that merely having a military presence or lease agreement isn’t enough; according to him, real ownership is necessary to defend the territory and secure U.S. interests. �

During a White House event with oil industry executives, Trump said the U.S. is going to do “something” about Greenland “whether they like it or not” because if it doesn’t act, “Russia or China will take over Greenland” and the U.S. would not want either country as a neighbor. He added that the U.S. would prefer to negotiate a deal the “easy way,” but is willing to pursue it the “hard way” if necessary. �

Greenland is a large Arctic island with about 57,000 inhabitants and is currently an autonomous territory under the Kingdom of Denmark. The U.S. already has a military presence on the island under a defense agreement from 1951, but Trump argues that such agreements fall short of true security without actual sovereignty. �

Many European leaders, including Denmark’s prime minister, have rejected these remarks strongly, saying Greenland is not for sale and that any decisions about its future must be made by Greenland and Denmark alone. Denmark has also warned that forced control by the U.S. could damage the NATO alliance. �

This statement revives an idea Trump previously floated in 2019 about purchasing Greenland, but the renewed emphasis on deterring Russia and China has sparked international debate.