Noora Mykkanen
Published January 9, 2026 10:56pm
Updated January 9, 2026 10:56pm
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The US president boasted that he would like to make a deal on Greenland the easy way, but ‘if we don’t do it the easy way, we’re gonna do it the hard way’ (Picture: Getty Images)
Donald Trump said he will take action on Greenland before ‘Russia or China will.’
The US president spoke about his possible plans to take over Greenland, a former colony of Denmark, which has been an autonomous part of the Scandinavian country since the 1950s.
Speaking to the media today at the White House about his next steps to take hold of Venezuelan oil, Trump revealed he might not be joking about Greenland.
Trump, who wore a bizarre lapel pin of himself, said: ‘We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not because if we don’t, Russia or China will take over Greenland. And we are not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour.
Trump: "We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not because if we don't, Russia or China will take over Greenland. If we don't do it the easy way we're gonna do it the hard way." pic.twitter.com/Pb29UqBzCC
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 9, 2026
‘I’d like to do a deal the easy way, but if we don’t do it the easy way, we’re gonna do it the hard way.’
The POTUS said that while he is a ‘big fan of Denmark,’ their historic relationship doesn’t guarantee ownership of Greenland in the future.
He said: ‘I’m a big fan, but the fact they had a boat land there 500 years ago doesn’t mean that they own the land.’
Donald Trump has his eyes set on Greenland (Picture: AP)
The indigenous inhabitants of Greenland – known as Kalaallit Nunaat in Inuit language – are believed to have arrived on the island around 2,500 BC. The Danish colonised Greenland in the 18th century before it was made an autonomous overseas territory with its own Parliament.
While Denmark, and Greenland’s people, have said the island is not for sale to the Americans, the Trump administration has said it could use the US military or make a deal to purchase it.
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When asked about the potential sum he was willing to offer, Trump said ‘I’m not talking about money for Greenland, yet.’
Protesters gathered outside the US consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, in March last year following Trump’s earlier remarks about taking over the island (Picture: REUTERS)
The US president had convened the ‘big oil’ press conference as part of his meeting with oil executives less than a week after US special operation captured Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. He said he believes the US is ‘owed’ oil from the country’s reserves, which are the world’s largest.
When asked about the lapel pin depicting a miniature Trump, he said it was called a ‘Happy Trump’ someone gave him.
He said: ‘That’s called a ‘Happy Trump’ — and considering the fact that I’m never happy… I’m never satisfied — I will never be satisfied until we Make America Great Again!’
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