Trump threatens to take Greenland ‘the hard way’, wants to stop Russia, China
Trump said he needs control of Greenland to guarantee American security, citing the threat from Russian and Chinese ships in the Arctic region
US President Donald Trump on Friday (January 9) threatened to seize Greenland “the hard way” whether the mineral-rich Arctic island “likes it or not” and said he needs to stop Russia or China from occupying it.
At a meeting with oil company executives at the White House in Washington, DC, Trump said he will “take” Greenland, which is a semiautonomous region that’s part of NATO ally Denmark.
What Trump said
“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 neighbour,” Trump told reporters.
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“We don’t want Russia or China going to Greenland, which – if we don’t take Greenland – you’re going to have Russia or China as your next-door neighbour. That’s not going to happen,” he said. “I would like to make a deal, you know, the easy way. But if we don’t do it the easy way, we’re going to do it the hard way.”
Trump said he needs control of Greenland to guarantee American security, citing the threat from Russian and Chinese ships in the Arctic region.
Meeting between officials
Officials from Denmark, Greenland and the United States met Thursday in Washington and will meet again next week to discuss a renewed push by the White House, which is considering a range of options, including using military force, to acquire the island.
Also read: US takeover of Greenland would end NATO, warns Denmark PM after Trump remarks
In an interview on Thursday, Trump told The New York Times that he wants to own Greenland because “ownership gives you things and elements that you can't get from just signing a document.”
Danish PM’s warning
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that an American takeover of Greenland would mark the end of NATO, and Greenlanders say they don't want to become part of the US.
“If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,” Frederiksen has said.
While Greenland is the largest island in the world, it has a population of around 57,000 and doesn't have its own military. Defence is provided by Denmark, whose military is dwarfed by that of the US.
(With agency inputs)
Why is Greenland so attractive to Trump? Watch our video explainer: