U.S. President Donald Trump takes questions from reporters, as he attends a gathering with oil business executives, on the White Home in Washington, D.C., U.S., Jan. 9, 2026.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
President Donald Trump mentioned Friday his administration will take motion on Greenland “whether or not they prefer it or not,” additional escalating his rhetoric as he pushes to amass the Danish territory for the U.S.
“I want to make a deal, you understand, the simple approach. But when we do not do it the simple approach, we’ll do it the exhausting approach,” Trump instructed reporters on the White Home.
The feedback got here throughout a gathering with oil executives to debate the prospect of doing enterprise in Venezuela. Lower than per week earlier, the U.S. army invaded the oil-rich South American nation and captured its chief, Nicolás Maduro.
Trump has lengthy sought to take over Greenland, primarily citing the Arctic island’s significance for U.S. nationwide safety.
Denmark and its European allies in NATO – the army alliance co-founded by the U.S. – have pushed again, reiterating that Greenland shouldn’t be on the market. However the Trump administration however says it’s presently weighing a spread of choices on Greenland, together with using the U.S. army or slicing a deal to buy it from Denmark.
Authorities officers have additionally mulled sending lump sums of money to Greenlanders with a view to sway them to affix the U.S., Reuters reported Thursday.
Requested on Friday how a lot these funds might be, Trump mentioned, “I am not speaking about cash for Greenland, but.”
“I would discuss that, however proper now we’re going to do one thing on Greenland, whether or not they prefer it or not,” Trump mentioned.
“As a result of if we do not do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we’re not going to have Russia or China as a neighbor,” he mentioned.
Trump mentioned that whereas he’s a “huge fan” of Denmark, “the truth that they’d a ship land there 500 years in the past doesn’t suggest that they personal the land. [I’m] certain we had a lot of boats go there additionally.”
“So we’ll be doing one thing with Greenland, both the great approach or the harder,” he mentioned.
The U.S. army already maintains a base in Greenland, and it reportedly has the flexibility to increase its presence there if desired.
However that is not sufficient, Trump mentioned.
“Once we personal it, we defend it. You do not defend leases the identical approach, it’s a must to personal it,” he mentioned.
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