Trump warns Greenland to make a deal with US before Russia or China takes over: ‘Their defense is two dogsleds’

President Donald Trump said Sunday night that NATO needs the United States “more than we need them” while urging Greenland to give in to his demands before being invaded. China or Russia.

Trump brushed aside warnings from allies and doubled down on his demand for control of Greenland, saying he did not care whether seizing the Arctic region would upset NATO.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on his way back to Washington, Trump was asked whether taking Greenland would harm relations with the alliance.

“If it affects NATO, it affects NATO,” Trump said. ‘But you know, they need us much more than we need them, I’ll tell you that now.’

Asked whether he had made a formal offer to Greenland or Denmark, Trump said he had not made one yet before beginning a clear assessment of the island’s security.

“Greenland should make the deal because Greenland doesn’t want Russia or China to take over,” Trump said.

‘The defense of Greenland is basically two dog sleds,’ he continued. ‘Meanwhile, there are Russian destroyers everywhere.’

In a separate conversation with reporters on board, Trump made clear that he viewed U.S. control of Greenland as inevitable.

‘If we don’t take Greenland, Russia or China will. “And I won’t let that happen… One way or another, we will have Greenland,” he said.

Despite global outcry and opposition from Greenland, Trump declares US control over the island inevitable

A reporter asked: ‘Is it okay if it endangers NATO?’ When asked, Trump acknowledged that the blowback could be real, but suggested that the alliance itself could be expendable.

‘Maybe NATO would be upset if I did this… we would save a lot of money. I love NATO. I wonder if NATO would be with us if needed? I’m not sure they will,” Trump said.

In fact, NATO’s Article 5 collective defense provision, which considers an attack on one member an attack on all members, has been invoked only once, after the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, when allies joined Washington in Afghanistan.

The remarks reignited a diplomatic crisis that has been simmering since Trump renewed his effort to acquire Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory in the Arctic with immense strategic value.

Trump said he wanted control of the island due to its location, mineral resources and increasing Russian and Chinese military activities in the region, and did not rule out the use of force.

Trump argued it would be “easier” to reach a deal, but also warned that “if we don’t do it the easy way, we’ll do it the hard way.”

On Sunday night, he insisted again that the US acquisition of Greenland was a national security imperative.

Greenland, home to about 57,000 people, is protected by Denmark, whose military is much smaller than that of the United States.

President mocks Greenland defenses, saying they amount to ‘two dog sleds’

Asked whether the takeover would tear NATO apart, Trump responded: ‘They need us much more than we need them.’

Greenland has had the legal right to declare independence from Denmark since 2009 but has not done so because it relies heavily on Danish financial support and public services.

The US already operates a military base on the island. Danish officials have warned that any attempt to seize Greenland would threaten NATO.

Trump denied the allegation, portraying himself as a defender rather than a threat to the alliance, claiming he was pressuring member states to increase defense spending.

Tensions between Washington and Copenhagen have intensified in recent days.

Denmark’s ambassador to the US, Jesper Møller Sørensen, publicly backtracked after the newly appointed US envoy to Greenland suggested the US defended the island during World War II when Denmark could not.

Sørensen said Denmark has consistently sided with the United States, including after September 11, and emphasized that only the Greenlanders should decide their future.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned on Sunday that her country faced a “decisive moment” in its standoff with Washington.

“There is a conflict over Greenland,” Frederiksen said during a discussion with other Danish political leaders, adding that the risks extend far beyond the island.

In his Facebook post, Frederiksen said Denmark was ready to defend its principles.

‘We are ready to defend our values ​​wherever necessary, including in the North Pole. “We believe in international law and the right of peoples to self-determination,” he wrote.

Donald Trump Jr. visited the region last January before the start of his father’s second term

Vice President J.D. Vance visited Greenland last March, specifically the U.S. military’s Pituffik Cosmodrome.

European allies began to line up behind Denmark. Germany and Sweden voiced their support for Copenhagen, condemning what the Swedish prime minister called ‘threatening rhetoric’.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said a US takeover of Greenland would violate international law and risk encouraging other nations to do the same.

“Sweden, the Nordic countries, the Baltic states and many major European countries stand with our Danish friends,” he told a defense conference attended by NATO’s top US commander.

Although Germany acknowledged growing security concerns in the Arctic, it reiterated that Greenland’s future should be decided by its own people and Denmark.

German officials said that they are ready to assume greater responsibilities within NATO as the strategic importance of the region increases.

Polls show Greenland’s population is overwhelmingly opposed to a US takeover, although the island continues to debate its long-term relationship with Denmark.