U.S. President Donald Trump said that if no deal is reached regarding Greenland, a territory of Denmark, he would secure it even by coercive means.
On the 9th (local time), at a meeting at the White House with oil and gas corporations executives, President Trump said on the Greenland issue, "I want to strike a deal and that is the easy way, but if we don't do it the easy way, we will do it the hard way."
He added, "We will not let Russia or China take Greenland, and if we don't take it, they will," and said, "We will do something regarding Greenland, whether in a friendly way or a harder way."
President Trump said Russian and Chinese destroyers and submarines operate across Greenland, adding, "We will not have Russia or China as neighbors." In response to the question "How much can you pay to get Greenland residents to agree?" he said, "I am not yet talking about money for Greenland," while noting he could discuss an amount later.
To the question, "If the United States can conduct military activities in Greenland under its defense agreement with Denmark, why insist on owning it?" he said, "You have to own it to protect it. No one defends leased land like territory."