Trump: ‘We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not’

President Donald Trump said Friday his medication volition instrumentality enactment connected Greenland "whether they similar it oregon not," further escalating his rhetoric arsenic helium pushes to get the Danish territory for the U.S.

"I would similar to marque a deal, you know, the casual way. But if we don't bash it the casual way, we're going to bash it the hard way," Trump told reporters astatine the White House.

The comments came during a gathering with lipid executives to sermon the imaginable of doing concern successful Venezuela. Less than a week earlier, the U.S. subject invaded the oil-rich South American federation and captured its leader, Nicolás Maduro.

Trump has agelong sought to instrumentality implicit Greenland, chiefly citing the Arctic island's value for U.S. nationalist security.

Denmark and its European allies successful NATO – the subject confederation co-founded by the U.S. – person pushed back, reiterating that Greenland is not for sale. But the Trump medication nevertheless says it is presently weighing a scope of options connected Greenland, including utilizing the U.S. military or cutting a woody to acquisition it from Denmark.

Government officials person besides mulled sending lump sums of currency to Greenlanders successful bid to sway them to articulation the U.S., Reuters reported Thursday.

Asked connected Friday however overmuch those payments could be, Trump said, "I'm not talking astir wealth for Greenland, yet."

"I mightiness speech astir that, but close present we are going to bash thing connected Greenland, whether they similar it oregon not," Trump said.

"Because if we don't bash it, Russia oregon China volition instrumentality implicit Greenland, and we're going to person Russia oregon China arsenic a neighbor," helium said.

Trump said that portion helium is simply a "big fan" of Denmark, "the information that they had a vessel onshore determination 500 years agone doesn't mean that they ain the land. [I'm] definite we had tons of boats spell determination also."

"So we're going to beryllium doing thing with Greenland, either the bully mode oregon the much difficult," helium said.