White House Says ‘Trump Wants Greenland’: Why America’s Arctic Fantasy Is Being Called Reckless | world news

Washington DC: The White House has reiterated President Donald Trump’s desire for the United States to acquire Greenland, describing the move as a matter of national survival and strategic security.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the president believes Greenland is important for America’s future interests. “The president has made his priority quite clear. He wants the United States to acquire Greenland. He thinks it is in our best national security to do that,” she said.

Her comments came a day after Denmark and Greenland dismissed any possibility of Greenland being taken over by the United States. At the same time, Copenhagen and Nuuk announced the creation of a high-level working group with Washington aimed at addressing American security concerns in the Arctic region.

The position was explained by Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt during a press conference held at the Danish embassy in Washington. The briefing followed their meetings at the White House with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Rasmussen acknowledged that President Trump talked about control of Greenland. He said the discussions in Washington had led to some movement in tone. “It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland. We made it very clear that this is not in the interest of the Kingdom. The premier made it very clear yesterday that Greenland, for the time being and for the future, will remain within the Kingdom of Denmark, and therefore, this is a common position that we want to work with our American friends and allies on, but it must be respectful cooperation and it must respect the red lines,” he said.

Earlier the same day, President Trump once again reiterated Greenland’s strategic importance, warning that global rivals were watching the Arctic closely. Speaking at the White House during a signing ceremony, he said, “We need Greenland for national security, so we are going to see what happens. We have a very good relationship with Denmark. If we don’t go in, Russia and China will go in. It is not a thing that Denmark can do anything about, but we can do everything about it.”

Greenland’s Foreign Minister Motzfeldt stressed that stronger cooperation with Washington does not involve giving up control over the island. “That doesn’t mean we want to be owned by the United States,” she said.

She later added Greenland is focused on choosing a careful and balanced way forward, centered on dialogue and mutual respect. She also called for restoring stable relations between Nuuk and Washington. “The US and Greenland need to return to the normalized relationship we used to have. It’s in both countries’ interest to find a balance and work as allies. We are allies, we are friends,” she said.