President Donald Trump has declared his administration will proceed with plans concerning Greenland, asserting the move is necessary to prevent Russian or Chinese dominance in the Arctic, irrespective of local or Danish opposition.
'The Easy Way or the Hard Way': Trump's Stance on Greenland
Speaking to reporters on Friday, the President stated, "Right now we are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not." He justified the aggressive posture by framing it as a strategic imperative, warning that failure to act would allow rival powers to gain a foothold. "If we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland and we're not gonna' have Russia or China as a neighbour," Trump claimed.
While he noted he was not currently "talking money" regarding a potential purchase of the vast, mineral-rich territory, he left the door open for future negotiations. Trump expressed a preference for making a deal "the easy way," but ominously added, "If we don't do it the easy way, we're going to do it the hard way." He did not elaborate on what the "hard way" might entail.
Diplomatic Fallout and NATO Tensions Escalate
The comments have ignited a fresh diplomatic crisis with Denmark, a longstanding NATO ally. The situation escalated following a secret briefing for lawmakers on Thursday, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly confirmed Trump's intention to acquire Greenland. This led to an urgent meeting the same day between White House National Security Council officials and the Danish ambassador, Jesper Møller Sørensen, alongside Greenland's chief representative in Washington, Jacob Isbosethsen.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that a forced US takeover could spell the end of NATO. This view found support from the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom, who issued a joint statement reaffirming that Greenland "belongs to its people." The autonomous Danish territory is home to approximately 56,000 mostly Inuit inhabitants.
Further straining transatlantic relations, Trump launched a broadside against NATO allies on Wednesday, criticising them for not meeting defence spending targets. "Most weren't paying their bills," he wrote, claiming the US had foolishly carried the burden. He added, "Russia and China have zero fear of NATO without the United States."
Internal US Pushback and Strategic Calculations
Within the United States, the President's designs on Greenland are facing growing political resistance, including from members of his own party. In a floor speech on Thursday, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska labelled the rhetoric from some administration officials as "profoundly troubling."
Trump's focus on ownership, rather than the existing treaty framework, was clarified in a recent New York Times interview. He argued that outright control offers advantages over the current 1951 treaty, which already grants the US broad rights to establish military bases in Greenland with Danish and Greenlandic consent. "Ownership gives you things and elements that you can't get from just signing a document," he stated.
Vice President JD Vance framed the issue as one of collective defence, urging European leaders to take Trump seriously. "What we're asking our European friends to do is take the security of that landmass more seriously, because if they're not, the United States is going to have to do something about it," Vance told reporters. The administration's stance continues to create significant uncertainty for one of the world's most strategically sensitive regions.
