Trump says US will take Greenland “one way or the other” as Denmark and EU warn of NATO fallout

President Donald Trump said the United States would take control of Greenland “one way or the other,” dismissing concerns about Nato and prompting sharp warnings from Denmark and European Union officials about the future of the western alliance.

Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One and later in the Oval Office, said US ownership of the territory was necessary for national security and described it as personally important to him.

Trump insists US will take Greenland

Trump said he was open in principle to making a deal over Greenland but insisted the outcome was not in doubt.

“One way or the other, we are going to have Greenland,” he said.

He argued that if the United States did not take control, Russia or China would do so, despite no obvious indication that either country is seeking to claim the territory. Trump also mocked Greenland’s defenses, saying they amounted to “two dog sleds,” while warning of Russian and Chinese destroyers and submarines in the region.

Asked about the impact on Nato, Trump brushed it aside.

“If it affects Nato, it affects Nato,” he said. “But you know, they need us much more than we need them.”

Trump claimed he had previously “saved” the alliance by pushing members to increase defense spending and said he was working to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

‘Psychologically important for me’

In remarks also referenced in a New York Times interview published Sunday, Trump said US ownership of Greenland was “psychologically needed for success.”

“Ownership gives you things and elements that you can’t get from just signing a document, that you can have a base,” he said. “It was psychologically important for me.”

He added, “Now, maybe another president would feel differently, but so far I’ve been right about everything.”

When asked whether he would deploy US troops to Greenland, Trump said he did not think it would be necessary, though he added that he would have more troops there if needed.

Denmark warns of a fateful moment

Trump’s comments came hours after Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that Denmark was facing a “fateful moment” amid US threats to take over Greenland.

“We are at a crossroads, and this is a fateful moment,” Frederiksen said.

She warned that if the United States was turning its back on Nato by threatening an ally, something she said Denmark had not experienced before, it would fundamentally alter the western alliance.

“What is at stake is bigger than what the eye can see,” she said. “Then everything will stop.”

EU commissioner warns of Nato’s end

European Union defense commissioner Andrius Kubilius said any US attempt to take Greenland by force would spell the end of Nato and trigger obligations under EU treaties.

“I agree with the Danish prime minister that it will be the end of Nato,” Kubilius told Reuters at a security conference in Sweden, adding that the move would be viewed very negatively by the public.

Kubilius said Article 42.7 of the EU treaty obliges member states to assist one another if a member faces military aggression, including Denmark.

“It will depend very much on Denmark, how they will react, what will be their position,” he said. “But definitely there is such an obligation of member states to come for mutual assistance if another member state is facing military aggression.”