President Donald Trump said Friday the U.S. will take action to acquire Greenland despite what Denmark’s leaders say about the situation.
“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.
Trump’s remarks come just 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.”
The U.S. already has a military base on the island, and Denmark officials 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.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet with the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland next week.
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.
Leaders from both sides have condemned the remarks by Trump and call for more information before he takes action.
