Trump Insists ‘US Needs Greenland’ and ‘Anything Less Is Unacceptable’ Ahead of High-Stakes Talks
President Trump escalated his push for U.S. control of Greenland on Wednesday, arguing that acquiring the Arctic island is essential to American national security and setting a confrontational tone ahead of high-level meetings with Danish and Greenlandic leaders.
In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump said the United States “needs” Greenland “for the purpose of National Security,” adding that “[a]nything less than that is unacceptable.” He warned that failure to act would open the door to rival powers.
“NATO should be leading the way for us to get it,” Trump wrote, referring to Greenland. “IF WE DON’T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!
“Militarily, without the vast power of the United States, much of which I built during my first term, and am now bringing to a new and even higher level, NATO would not be an effective force or deterrent – Not even close! They know that, and so do I. NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES.”
The comments came just hours before Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were scheduled to sit down with Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, and Greenland’s foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt. The talks are aimed at defusing tensions sparked by the White House’s renewed insistence that the United States should annex Greenland, a territory governed by Denmark for centuries.
On Tuesday, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen publicly rejected the idea during a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, drawing a clear line on Greenland’s loyalties. “If we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark. We choose NATO. We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the EU.”
Nielsen’s office went further, stating that Greenland would not agree to a U.S. takeover under “any circumstance” and calling on NATO to ensure the island’s defense if it were threatened.
The United States already maintains a military footprint on Greenland, and Danish officials have said Washington is free to expand that presence if needed to counter potential moves by Russia or China. Still, Greenland’s leadership has stressed that cooperation does not equate to surrendering sovereignty.
“Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States. Greenland does not want to be governed by the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States,” Nielsen said Tuesday.
The administration has not backed away from its hard line. Last week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that “utilizing the US military is always an option,” while Trump declared separately that “we are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not.”
After Nielsen’s remarks, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told The NY Post that the president “believes that Greenland is a strategically important location that is critical from the standpoint of national security.”
“He is confident Greenlanders would be better served if protected by the United States from modern threats in the Arctic region,” Kelly said. “The President is committed to establishing long-term peace at home and abroad.”
{Matzav.com}
