U.S. President Donald Trump says the United States will act to control Greenland even if a peaceful deal cannot be reached. He made the comments during a White House event on January 9, 2026, saying the U.S. prefers “the easy way,” but will resort to “the hard way” if needed.
Trump described Greenland as a national security priority. He warned that Russia or China might try to occupy the island if the U.S. does not. Trump said the U.S. must act to prevent that, though he did not outline what “doing it the hard way” would involve.
The White House has said it is considering a range of options, including military force, to pursue its goals for Greenland. Trump also signaled interest in negotiating a deal first.
Greenland is a semi‑autonomous territory of Denmark, with a small population of about 57,000 people. Denmark controls its foreign and defense policy as part of NATO.
Leaders in Greenland strongly reject U.S. attempts to take control of the island. In a joint statement, party leaders said, “We don’t want to be Americans, we don’t want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders.” They insist the island’s future must be decided by its people.
Denmark’s Prime Minister has also warned that a U.S. takeover could threaten NATO and European security cooperation. Other NATO allies have expressed strong support for Denmark and Greenland’s sovereignty.
The issue has sparked broader discussion about Arctic security and great‑power competition, especially as Russia and China increase their presence in the region.
As of now, no formal proposal or agreement has been made between the U.S., Denmark, or Greenland. Talks continue, and Greenland’s parliament plans to hold meetings to address the situation.
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