Trump doubles down on Greenland threats, says US will act 'whether they like it or not'

Donald Trump has doubled down on threats to acquire Greenland, saying at a White House meeting with oil and gas executives that the US is "going to do something [there] whether they like it or not". He justified the remarks by saying: "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," and added: "So we’re going to be doing something with Greenland, either the nice way or the more difficult way." His posture has escalated tensions with Nato allies, including Denmark, and has been firmly rejected by Denmark and Greenland.

Despite admonishments from Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen, who recently said a US attack on Greenland would mean the end of "Nato and therefore post second world war security", Trump has continued to insist he supports the alliance, saying: "If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have a Nato right now." He first publicly floated acquiring Greenland in 2019 and revived the topic in recent weeks after the US attack on Venezuela and its capture of president Nicolás Maduro and his wife; he said he needed Greenland "very badly" as a national security imperative.

Greenlanders have repeatedly expressed refusal to be part of the US, with 85% rejecting the idea according to a 2025 poll, and polling shows only 7% of Americans support a US military invasion.

Key Topics

Politics, Donald Trump, Greenland, Denmark, Nato, China