Trump Threatens to Take Greenland ‘Whether They Like It or Not’ as Allies and Locals Push Back

At a White House meeting with oil and gas executives on Friday, President Donald Trump warned that the United States will act on Greenland “whether they like it or not.” He said the move is needed to stop Russia or China from gaining a foothold near North America.

Trump told reporters he preferred a deal, but left the meaning of his threat open. “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,” he said. He added: “So we’re going to be doing something with Greenland, either the nice way or the more difficult way.”

His comments revived an old idea that first surfaced in 2019 when Trump floated buying Greenland. That proposal was rejected then by both Danish and Greenlandic leaders, and it drew renewed alarm from allies after this week’s remarks. Denmark and Greenland say any decision must come from them and their people.

The row has a clear public split. A 2025 poll found that about 85% of Greenlanders do not want to join the United States. At the same time only 7% of Americans support a military move, according to polls cited by news agencies. The numbers make clear that Greenland’s people and most of the world do not want this to become an American project.

European leaders pushed back quickly. Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen warned that any U.S. attack on Greenland would mean the end of Nato and the security order born after the second world war. Trump answered by saying he supports Nato and at the same time claimed credit for saving it. “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have a Nato right now,” he said on Friday. The odd compliment did not calm the critics.

Trump’s interventionist tone did not stop at the Arctic. He also warned Iran against a violent crackdown on mass protests. “If they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We’ll be hitting them very hard where it hurts,” he told reporters. He added a second, blunt warning to Tehran leaders: “You’d better not start shooting, because we’ll start shooting too.”

The president said he did not mean boots on the ground. Still, his words suggested a willingness to use forceful options if a foreign government kills civilians. That stance drew swift replies from Iranian officials who said any foreign intervention would cross a red line. Analysts said the remarks raise the risk of missteps when tensions are already high.

Back in Greenland, leaders and unions called the idea insulting and out of touch. “Our country is not for sale,” Greenland’s premier said, while unions said there is no evidence of a foreign takeover threat in local waters. The island has a small population and large strategic value, but its people want more say over their future rather than to be traded as a geopolitical prize.

The White House meeting also focused on oil, Venezuela and energy investments. Trump urged oil firms to invest in Venezuela as the United States takes control of that country’s oil assets. The mix of oil talk and territorial talk made the session feel less like a policy briefing and more like a fast moving power pitch. Either way, the message was clear. The president sees Greenland as a prize worth fighting for, and he is ready to make that case loudly.

Feature image via X screengrab