‘Anything Less’ Than US Control Of Greenland Is ‘Unacceptable’: Trump As Ministers Hosted At WH

President Trump said early Wednesday on Truth Social that anything less than full American control of Greenland would be “unacceptable” – and even cited its necessity in erecting the new Golden Dome missile defense system.

“The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security. It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building. NATO should be leading the way for us to get it. IF WE DON’T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!” Trump wrote.

The statement was issued just ahead of Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s meeting with officials from the large far northern island and NATO member Denmark at the White House. 

“Militarily, without the vast power of the United States, much of which I built during my first term, and am now bringing to a new and even higher level, NATO would not be an effective force or deterrent – Not even close! They know that, and so do I,” Trump continued. 

“NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES,” he asserted, adding that “anything less than that is unacceptable.”

Trump has repeatedly unsettled the EU and NATO of late by declining to rule out the use of force to take control of the strategically important, resource-rich island. Because Denmark is a member of both organizations, the territory benefits from many of their collective security guarantees.

Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, and Greenland’s foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, originally outright rejected talks with Rubio. However, the meeting is now be held in Washington after Vance asked to participate and subsequently offered to host the discussions. So now they will face down Vance.

Greenland and Denmark have consistently made clear that the territory is not for sale, accusing the United States of applying “unacceptable pressure” on a long-standing ally. They also point out that a 1951 bilateral agreement already permits the US to significantly expand its military presence on the island.

EU leaders have quickly come forward to voice their support for Denmark, reaffirming their commitment to its territorial integrity and the principle of self-determination. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday that the island “belongs to its people”.

Greenland would rather remain part of Denmark than join the United States, the island’s prime minister has said ahead of a crucial White House meeting

Find out more https://t.co/8gAoIUGmLy pic.twitter.com/VEWBzIGrn5

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) January 13, 2026

But what if the people want to take a buyout offer from the United States? Giving each citizen a huge single cash sum is actually among the more creative ideas which have been floated.

The figure of one million dollars has been something in media reports, for example, and we can imagine there are many Greenlanders that would take it.

In follow-up on Wednesday, Trump issued a second Greenland Truth Social statement, this time highlighting that even Danish intelligence last year warned of the increased threat of Russian and Chinese military presence in the Arctic. The Europeans have suddenly been downplaying this, rejecting it as a rationale for a greater US military presence.

And NATO leadership too:

NATO chief Mark Rutte has said that Greenland’s security is “non-negotiable.”

He says that all allies agree on the importance of security in the Arctic and has warned that there must be diligence from NATO towards Chinese and Russian activity in the region.

Denmark and the Europeans have pushed back against his earlier assertions like the following: “We need that because if you take a look outside of Greenland right now, there are Russian destroyers, there are Chinese destroyers and, bigger, there are Russian submarines all over the place. We’re not gonna have Russia or China occupy Greenland, and that’s what they’re going to do if we don’t,” Trump has said before.

The ‘fact checkers’ have been quick to push back, for example in this fresh Associated Press article: “Experts have repeatedly rebuffed Trump’s claims of Chinese and Russian military forces lurking off Greenland’s coastline. Experts say Russia instead operates in the Barents Sea, off the Scandinavian coast, and both China and Russia have a presence in the Bering Sea south of Alaska.”

But then there’s this highly interesting thread…

Okay.

Here is a list of the quotes from the Danish 2025 Intelligence Assessment that contradict this article:

Danish Defence Intelligence Service (DDIS) – Intelligence Outlook 2025
Link: https://t.co/YlTZxmfdjh

– “In recent years, the United States has significantly increased… https://t.co/uIPkj3msLA

— Nick Solheim (@NickSolheim) January 11, 2026

The White House gathering will likely see Denmark try and push for a joint NATO mission for Greenland, of which US forces are a key part, in hopes of satisfying Trump enough to get him to halt his big push for a Greenland takeover. Today’s talks are expected to begin at 10:30am ET.