President Donald Trump has escalated tensions with Denmark and the broader NATO alliance by declaring that the United States must “own” Greenland to prevent Russia or China from gaining a strategic foothold in the Arctic. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, January 9, 2026, Trump dismissed existing lease agreements for military bases, such as the Pituffik base, as insufficient for long-term national security. “Countries have to have ownership and you defend ownership, you don’t defend leases,” Trump stated. He warned that the U.S. would acquire the semi-autonomous territory either “the easy way”—through a negotiated sale—or “the hard way,” a phrase interpreted by many as a threat of annexation by force.
The comments drew a swift and stinging rejection from both Copenhagen and Nuuk. All five major political parties in Greenland’s parliament issued a joint statement reaffirming that the territory is “not for sale” and that the future of the island belongs solely to the Greenlandic people. “We do not wish to be Americans. We do not wish to be Danes. We wish to be Greenlanders,” the statement read. Denmark’s government has warned that any unilateral military action by the U.S. would spell the end of the trans-Atlantic defense alliance, while European allies including France, Germany, and the UK have rallied behind Denmark’s sovereignty.
Despite the diplomatic firestorm, Trump insisted that Greenland is currently “covered with Russian and Chinese ships,” although he provided no specific intelligence to back the claim. The White House is reportedly exploring a “lump sum” payment plan, estimated at nearly $6 billion, to be paid directly to Greenlanders to encourage them to secede from Denmark and join the United States. Another option under discussion is a “Compact of Free Association,” similar to U.S. agreements with Pacific island nations like Palau or the Marshall Islands. Trump argued that a 100-year deal is not enough and that permanent ownership is the only way to ensure the Arctic remains under American influence.
