PresidentDonald Trumpis continuing to push for a U.S. takeover of Greenland, including by force, as European allies express dismay over his threats towardthe Danish territory.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday, Jan. 11, Trump brushed off questions over how a possible seizure of the self-governed Arctic island could affect the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, and doubled down on claims that the U.S. needs Greenlandfor national security.
"I'd love to make a deal with them," Trump said. "It would make things easier. But one way or the other, we're going to have Greenland."
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Trump floated the idea of aU.S. takeover of Greenlandin 2019, including buying the island, during his first term in office. Officials in both Denmark and Greenland have made it clear it'snot for sale.
Despite strong international pushback andlack of appetite for an invasionfrom many in his own party, Trump has grown increasingly more vocal about the idea over the past several months. He has moved from musing to buy Greenland to issuing threats, recently saying on Jan. 9 that the U.S. will seize control of Greenland "the easy way" or "the hard way."
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While Denmark has ruled Greenland for centuries, the territory has gradually been moving towards independence since 1979. Trump has repeatedly claimed national security as a reason for wanting Greenland given its strategic gateway to the Arctic region. The island also hascritical mineralsused in industries where China has a near-monopoly, including for graphite, copper, nickel, zinc, tungsten and lithium used for making modern technology.
Greenland says it 'cannot accept' US takeover
Trump said he has not made an offer to Denmark for Greenland, and repeated comments he's made several times over the past month suggesting China and Russia pose a threat to the resource-rich island.
"Their defense is two dog sleds," Trump said of Greenland, which has a population of about 57,000 people. The U.S. has an airbase on the territory.
Greenland's government coalition said in astatementon Monday, Jan. 12 that it "cannot accept" a U.S. takeover "in any way."
Trump's comments have also drawn a growing number of European allies to push back, reasserting long-held norms and international laws of sovereignty and insisting NATO is already addressing Arctic security concerns.
Several large European nations joined Denmark to issue ajoint statementon Jan. 6 challenging the administration's claim that security in the Arctic requires U.S. control of the territory.
More:Why does Trump want Greenland? It's these critical minerals he's after.
"NATO has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European Allies are stepping up," the nations said, including Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom.
"Greenland belongs to its people," they added. "It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland."
Official warns NATO will end if US invades
When asked by a reporter if he is concerned if taking over Greenland would compromise NATO, the president appeared to shrug.
"I'm the one that saved NATO," he said, adding "You wouldn't have NATO if I weren't president."
NATO's secretary general Mark Rutte said on Jan. 12 that member countries are discussing the next steps to collectively keep the Arctic safe, in a sign of efforts to try to satisfy Trump's concerns over security. Rutte said discussions on Arctic security were already under way since last year, and member countries were now discussing the next steps.
Greenland's government also said it will "increase its efforts to ensure that the defense of Greenland takes place under the auspices of NATO," while drawing a hard line against a U.S. takeover.
The same day, NATO Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius told Reuters that any U.S. military takeover of Greenland would be the end of NATO.
Contributing: Reuters.
Kathryn Palmer is a politics reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her atkapalmer@usatoday.comand on X @KathrynPlmr. Sign up for her daily politics newsletterhere.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Greenland, NATO push back on Trump over Greenland
