Trump, who often cites national security interests as the reason for taking Greenland, said that if the US does not do something, 'Russia or China will take over Greenland'.
The United States will "do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not," President Donald Trump said on Friday, doubling down on threats to seize the semi-autonomous region of Denmark.
"Because if we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland. And we're not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour," he added.
Trump made the comments during a meeting accompanied by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and oil executives at the White House, claiming that he's a "big fan" of Denmark and would like to make a deal the "easy way".
"I would like to make a deal, you know the easy way but if we don't do it the easy way we're going to do it the hard way".
Greenland is a strategically located and mineral-rich island, which is a semi-autonomous region of NATO ally Denmark. Trump regularly cites national security interests as a reason for his intentions towards the self-governing island.
Recent US attacks on Venezuela and the capture of its president, Nicolás Maduro, have fuelled growing concerns about what the US may be planning for Greeland.
This week, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the US "has no right to annex any of the three nations in the Danish Kingdom," and warned that an American takeover would mark the end of the NATO military alliance.
"If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country, then everything would stop, including NATO and the security the alliance has provided since World War Two," Frederiksen told local media.
Envoys from Denmark and Greenland met with officials from the United States in Washington on Thursday and are set to meet again next week to discuss a renewed push by the White House, which is considering several options to seize the island, including the use of military force.