President Donald Trump said the United States must acquire Greenland — not lease it — warning that the strategically critical Arctic territory is effectively undefended and vulnerable to encroachment by Russia or China if Washington fails to act.
Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday night, the president contrasted what he described as Greenland’s minimal defenses with growing foreign military activity in the Arctic.
“In the meantime, you have Russian destroyers and submarines, and Chinese destroyers and submarines all over the place,” Trump said.
“We’re not going to let that happen, and if it affects NATO, then it affects NATO.
“But they need us more than we need them.”
No Leasing, Only Acquisition
Trump made clear that his administration is not considering a temporary lease or limited arrangement for Greenland and will only seek to acquire the territory.
“If we don’t do it, Russia or China will, and that’s not going to happen when I’m president,” he said.
WATCH:
.@POTUS: "If we don't take Greenland, Russia or China will — and I'm not letting that happen." pic.twitter.com/A92g51Khfc
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 12, 2026
Trump was asked whether the U.S. had formally offered to acquire Greenland from Denmark.
He said no offer has been made but argued that Greenland’s leadership should seriously consider the proposal.
“I haven’t done that,” Trump said.
“Greenland should make the deal because Greenland does not want to see Russia or China take over.
“Basically, their defense is two dog sleds. You know that?
“You know what their defense is? Two dog sleds.”
WATCH:
.@POTUS: "Greenland should make the deal because Greenland does not want to see Russia or China take over… Their defense basically is two dogsleds." https://t.co/ufhCYutwvb pic.twitter.com/3j8CKhIUoD
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 12, 2026
Several Trump administration officials have echoed the president’s position, arguing that Greenland’s geographic location, controlling key Arctic sea lanes and hosting critical military infrastructure, makes U.S. control a national security imperative for both America and NATO.
Greenland Leaders Push Back
Greenland’s leadership has strongly rejected the president’s remarks.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen and four party leaders issued a joint statement Friday night dismissing the idea that the island would become part of the United States or Denmark.
“We don’t want to be Americans, we don’t want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders,” the leaders said, adding that Greenland’s “future must be decided by the Greenlandic people.”
The statement also criticized Washington’s tone, saying:
“As Greenlandic party leaders, we would like to emphasize once again our wish that the United States’ contempt for our country ends.”
Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and a longtime U.S. ally.
Denmark Warns of NATO Fallout
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned last week that Trump’s annexation rhetoric could threaten NATO itself.
“If the U.S. chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,” Frederiksen said in an interview with Danish broadcaster TV2, arguing that such an action would effectively collapse the alliance’s post–World War II security framework.
Nielsen echoed that concern, writing in a Facebook post that Greenland is “not an object of superpower rhetoric.”
Report: Trump Floats Direct Payments to Greenlanders
Despite the diplomatic resistance, Trump has reportedly explored alternative approaches.
According to a report by The Telegraph, the president has refined an earlier proposal by suggesting direct payments of $100,000 to every Greenland resident.
The reported “cash-for-citizens” idea would frame a potential acquisition as an economic windfall for the island’s roughly 56,000 residents, bypassing traditional diplomatic friction by appealing directly to the population.
Trump has not publicly confirmed the proposal, but the report underscores his view that Greenland’s strategic value is too important for the United States to ignore, particularly as global competition in the Arctic continues to intensify.
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