Trump says US is making moves to acquire Greenland ‘whether they like it or not’

President Donald Trump warned Friday during a meeting with nearly two dozen oil executives that Russia and China will not move in on the nations of Venezuela or Greenland on his watch. 

“We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not,” Trump said Friday. “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’s comments came as he hosted nearly two dozen oil executives at the White House to discuss investments in Venezuela after the capture of dictatorial president Nicolás Maduro Saturday morning.

“We don’t want to have Russia there,” Trump said of Venezuela Friday when asked if the nation appears to be an ally to the U.S. “We don’t want to have China there. And, by the way, we don’t want Russia or China going to Greenland, which, if we don’t take Greenland, you can have Russia or China as your next-door neighbor. That’s not going to happen.” 

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Trump added that he would like to make a deal with Denmark, saying, “if we don’t do it the easy way, we’re going to do it the hard way.” 

Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. 

“And, by the way, I’m a fan of Denmark, too, I have to tell you. … But, you know, the fact that they had a boat land there 500 years ago doesn’t mean that they own the land. I’m sure we had lots of boats go there also,” he said. 

The U.S. military carried out a successful operation in Veneuzla Saturday morning, capturing Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on sweeping narco-terrorism conspiracy and drug trafficking charges.

The operation was swiftly followed by Trump putting “anyone who would threaten American sovereignty or endanger American lives” on notice. Trump has for years floated the U.S. acquiring Greenland due to its strategic position between North America and Europe in the Arctic Circle, and he was pressed about revisiting such plans after the Venezuela operation. 

Both nations are also rich in resources, including oil and rare earths. Trump defended the desire to own Greenland even when the U.S. already has a military presence on the island, saying, “When we own it, we defend it.”

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“We need Greenland from a national security situation. It’s so strategic. Right now. Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place,” Trump said from Air Force One Sunday as he traveled back to Washington from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. 

China has shown a growing ambition in the Arctic, including publishing its first Arctic policy white paper in 2018, when it labeled itself a “near-Arctic state.” Greenland played a pivotal role during the Cold War because it was along the shortest routes between North America and the Soviet Union and conducted missile detection. 

“If you take a look outside of Greenland right now, there are Russian destroyers, there are Chinese destroyers and bigger. There are Russian submarines all over the place. We’re not going to have Russia or China occupy Greenland, and that’s what they’re going to do if we don’t. So, we’re going to be doing something with Greenland either the nice way or the more difficult way,” he added. 

Trump told the media Sunday that “we’ll worry about Greenland in about two months,” but global discussions surrounding the Danish territory have intensified since. 

European leaders, including in Denmark, have recoiled at Trump’s calls to acquire Greenland, arguing that NATO allies work together to ensure the Arctic is secure. 

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Arctic security must be “achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies, including the United States, by upholding the principles of the U.N. Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders. These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them,” the top leaders from the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark said in a joint statement. 

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“Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”

Trump added Friday that “NATO has got to understand” that “we’re not going to allow Russia or China to occupy Greenland, and that’s what’s going to happen if we don’t.”