According to Reuters, US President Donald Trump said the United States needs to take ownership of Greenland to prevent Russia or China from expanding their influence in the Arctic. Speaking at the White House during a meeting with oil industry executives, Trump warned that failing to act could allow rival powers to establish a strategic foothold near US territory.

Trump argued that existing arrangements, including a long-standing US military presence under a 1951 defense agreement, are insufficient to guarantee Greenland’s long-term security. He stressed that ownership, rather than defense agreements or leases, is the only way to ensure permanent control and protection of the island, which has a population of about 57,000 and operates as a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

Reuters reported that discussions within the Trump administration have included a range of options, from financial incentives aimed at Greenland’s residents to more forceful measures, including potential military involvement. European leaders reacted sharply, rejecting any suggestion that the island’s future could be decided by outside powers, and reaffirmed that only Greenland and Denmark have the right to determine their political relationship.