President Donald Trump on Friday ramped up his rhetoric on Greenland, saying the U.S. will take action to acquire the longtime ally.
“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 told reporters at the White House.
The remarks come days after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that Trump could use the military to “pursue this important foreign policy goal.” That came on the heels of major European allies issuing in a joint statement saying they would “not stop defending” the values of sovereignty and Greenland’s territorial integrity.
Greenland is a semi-autonomous Danish territory that’s strategically important militarily and contains vast mineral wealth. The U.S. already has a military base on the island, and officials there have said they’d accept an expanded military presence.
Asked by a reporter Friday why he hasn’t accepted that offer, Trump said, “When we own it, we defend it. You don’t defend leases the same way. You have to own it.”
“We’re not going to allow Russia or China to occupy Greenland, and that’s what’s going to happen if we don’t own it,” he said during the public portion of a meeting with oil and gas executives at the White House.
As for what he’d be willing to pay for the territory, Trump said, “I’m not talking about money for Greenland yet. I might talk about that, but we’re going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not.”
The continued pressure from the president comes a day after the top representatives to the U.S. from Denmark and Greenland met with White House officials to seek a better understanding of U.S. policy, a source familiar with the discussions told NBC News.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet with the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland next week.
Greenland’s representative to the U.S., Jacob Isbosethsen, also met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Thursday and told NBC News afterward that “Greenland is not for sale.”
The leaders of Greenland's five political parties issued a joint statement on Friday night calling for "the U.S.'s disdain for our country to end," adding: "We do not want to be Americans, we do not want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders."
"We must decide the future of our country ourselves, without pressure for a quick decision, delay or interference from other countries," the leaders said.
Republican leaders on Capitol Hill have said it would be inappropriate for the U.S. military to use force to take over the Arctic island.
