President Donald Trump on Tuesday pushed back against questions suggesting he might acquire Greenland by force, a NATO territory, emphasizing that such reports mischaracterize his intentions.
When asked by reporters if he intended to seize Greenland with force, Trump replied sharply, “Who is saying that? You are saying that. You are telling me that that is what I am going to do. You don’t know what I’m going to do. Your network doesn’t know either.”
Pressed on whether he would leave the NATO alliance to secure Greenland, Trump declined to provide specifics. “Well, I wouldn’t be telling you what I’m willing to do certainly. I’m not gonna give up options, but it’s very important. Greenland is very important for the national security. We need Greenland for national security… If we don’t go in, Russia will go in and China will go in. And there’s not a thing that Denmark can do about it, but we can do everything about it,” he said.
Trump’s remarks follow high-level meetings earlier Tuesday between U.S. officials and Danish and Greenlandic representatives, including Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt. The discussions, described by Rasmussen as “frank but constructive,” focused on U.S. security concerns in the Arctic and Trump’s longstanding interest in Greenland.
Rasmussen emphasized that Denmark and Greenland maintain a united stance against any transfer of sovereignty. “It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland. We made very clearly that this was in no interest for our Kingdom,” Rasmussen said, noting strong support within Greenland for remaining part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Despite the disagreement, both sides agreed to form a high-level working group to explore ways to address U.S. security concerns while respecting Denmark’s and Greenland’s territorial integrity. The group is expected to meet in the coming weeks to develop cooperative approaches that do not violate Greenland’s sovereignty.
The Greenland issue reflects broader geopolitical tensions in the Arctic, where the United States, Russia, and China are all seeking to expand their influence. Trump has repeatedly framed Greenland as a strategic asset essential to U.S. national security, a position dating back to his first term and renewed in early 2026 amid heightened global competition in the region.
