US President Donald Trump on Monday said the United States would move to take control of Greenland “the easy way or the hard way,” warning that Russia or China could otherwise seize the strategically important Arctic island. “If we don’t take Greenland, Russia or China will, and I’m not letting that happen,” Trump said.
Dismissing Greenland’s existing security posture as inadequate, he added: “Do you know what their defense is? Two dog sleds. In the meantime, you have Russian destroyers and submarines and China destroyers and submarine all over the place. We’re not going to let that happen.” Trump also tied his remarks to the transatlantic alliance, saying: “And if it affects Nato, and then it affects Nato, but you know, they need us much more than we need them.”
.@POTUS: "If we don't take Greenland, Russia or China will — and I'm not letting that happen." pic.twitter.com/A92g51Khfc— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 12, 2026
Sovereignty dismissed, force not ruled out
Speaking at a White House meeting with oil and gas executives on Friday, January 10, Trump rejected Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland and framed US intervention as a national security imperative.
“We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not,” he said. “Because if we don’t do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland.”
Trump said he preferred a negotiated agreement with Denmark and Greenland’s authorities but made clear that military force remained an option if talks failed.
“I would like to make a deal, the easy way,” Trump said. “But if we don’t do it the easy way, we’re going to do it the hard way.”
Denmark and allies push back
Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, which retains control over foreign and defence policy. Trump’s remarks represent one of his strongest public challenges yet to Danish authority over the island.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has previously warned that any US invasion of Greenland would end the transatlantic alliance and undermine NATO.
Trump dismissed Danish objections while insisting he bore no hostility toward Copenhagen.
“I’m a fan of Denmark,” he said, before questioning Denmark’s historical claim to Greenland. “The fact that they had a boat land there 500 years ago doesn’t mean that they own the land.”
Why Greenland matters to Washington
Greenland already hosts a major US military base, and Washington has maintained a strategic presence on the island for decades.
Trump has repeatedly argued that Greenland’s location along key Arctic routes and its mineral resources make it critical as competition intensifies among major powers in the region.
“We’re not going to allow Russia or China to occupy Greenland,” he said. “That’s what they’re going to do if we don’t.”
Timing raises concerns after Venezuela action
Trump’s remarks come just days after a US military operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, a move that drew international criticism and heightened concerns about Washington’s readiness to use force abroad.
The parallel has unsettled European allies, who see Trump increasingly framing strategic territory and resources as matters of enforcement rather than diplomacy.
Diplomacy still on the table
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet next week with Denmark’s foreign minister and representatives from Greenland.
The talks may determine whether Trump’s preferred “easy way” remains viable, or whether tensions between Washington, Denmark and the wider European alliance continue to escalate.
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