Trump's Greenland Stance: 'We Have to Have It,' He Tells EU Leaders

Nato allies will not push back too much on Greenland plans, Trump says Bernd Debusmann Jr Travelling with President Trump I've just touched down on Air Force One at the conclusion of a four day trip to Florida, which ended with President Trump attending the Indiana-Miami national college football championship. We did not see much of him at the game, although we did see him briefly in his box at the stadium with UFC President Dana White, his daughter Ivanka and several other family members. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also there. We did, however, briefly catch up with him at Palm Beach International Airport, where he strode over to us alongside Secretary of the Interior Doug Bergum. Trump was clearly in a jovial mood, and after greeting several family members came and dove right into praise for tonight's players and the state of the economy, unprompted. He was then peppered with questions, including several about Greenland. "We have to have it," he said. "They [Denmark] can't protect it." He also claimed that Nato allies would not "push back too much" on his claim over the island and dismissed European deployments there as "not a military." "Nato has been warning Denmark for 20 years now...they've been warning Denmark about the Russian threat," he said. "It's not only Russia, it's also China." "We'll see what happens," he added. "Let's put it this way: it's going to be an interesting Davos." Trump posts edited images depicting American flags on Greenland As well as the screenshot that seems to show messages from French President Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump has also been posting a series of images. One of the images appears is an edited version of an image taken during August 2025, when European leaders visited Washington for the US president's phone call with Vladimir Putin. In the image posted on Truth Social, the presentation board has been changed so that a US flag covers North America, Canada and Greenland. The original image depicted the front line of the Ukraine conflict. Another image posted by Trump on his social media account today is an illustration depicting the US president planting the American flag in Greenland, flanked by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice-President JD Vance. In the foreground of the illustration, is a sign saying "Greenland: US territory, est. 2026." Trump calls UK plans to 'give away' US military base 'great stupidity' We have so far been focusing on Trump's position on Greenland. But the US president has also shared a message on the UK's plan to hand over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius. Here is the latest Truth Social from President Trump on the UK's Chagos Islands deal: "Shockingly, our “brilliant” NATO Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER. There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness. These are International Powers who only recognize STRENGTH, which is why the United States of America, under my leadership, is now, after only one year, respected like never before. The UK giving away extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired. Denmark and its European Allies have to DO THE RIGHT THING. Thank you for your attention to this matter. PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP" Last year, Trump indicated he would be prepared to back the UK's deal to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. We're covering Trump's comments about the UK's Chagos Islands deal in a separate live page, which you can follow here. Trump posts Greenland messages from President Macron Donald Trump has shared what seems to be a screenshot of a "note from President Emmanuel Macron, of France". According to Reuters news agency, a source close to Macron has confirmed the authenticity of the message. In the message exchange, Macron says "I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland" and asks to set up a meeting of the G7 countries after the Davos World Economic Forum. The French president also says that Russia would be invited to join on the margins of this proposed G7 meeting. Russia was expelled from the group - previously known as the G8 - in 2014 in response to its annexation of Crimea. 'We have to have it': Trump sets out Greenland message to Europe Donald Trump is continuing to ramp up his rhetoric around Greenland, ahead of travelling to Davos this week for the World Economic Forum in Switzerland - his first in person visit since 2020. Overnight, the US president was asked by reporters about what he plans to say this week to European leaders - many of whom have pushed back on his plans to own the Arctic island. "Look, we have to have it," Trump replied, adding: "They can't protect it." On Truth Social, Trump also shared a message apparently from French President Emmanuel Macron, which details the latter's intention to meet in Paris following this week's summit in Switzerland. Macron's message apparently says: "I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland." Away from Davos, US Speaker Mike Johnson - a close Trump ally and third in line to the presidency behind JD Vance - is also set to address the UK Parliament at around 09:30 GMT. We'll be bringing you key lines from that address, as well as tracking all the developments from inside and outside the Swiss mountain resort, as dozens of world leaders and CEOs descend on it. Trump doubles down on tariff threats as European leaders push back Sakshi Venkatraman US reporter US President Donald Trump says he will "100%" follow through on his threats to impose extra tariffs on European allies if the acquisition of Greenland - a semi-autonomous Danish territory - is not agreed. This follows his announcement over the weekend that an extra 10% tariff will start in February for eight Nato allies, putting an earlier trade deal between the United States and European Union at risk. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the future of Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark alone. Starmer added that it was in everyone’s interests to go further to deliver on Arctic security, and the UK stands ready to contribute with its allies. Meanwhile, Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen has said he has proposed a Nato surveillance operation in Greenland, after meeting the organisation's chief Mark Rutte. In messages with Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Støre released earlier today, Trump said he no longer feels "an obligation to think purely of Peace" after not winning the Nobel Peace Prize. When asked by NBC News if he plans to use force to acquire Greenland, the president said "no comment". Meanwhile, Greenland's prime minister says "we will not let ourselves be pressured", even if Trump's new tariffs are rolled out. We are pausing our live coverage on this page, but you can continue reading with our latest news story It's in Nato's interests to deliver on Arctic security - UK PM We've just seen an update from a Downing Street spokesperson, saying UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni and Canada's Mark Carney this evening. “The prime minister was clear that the future of Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark alone," the statement says. It goes on: "He said that it was in everybody’s interests to go further to deliver on Arctic security and that the UK stands ready to contribute fully alongside our allies through Nato." The statement also reiterates that Starmer believes using tariffs against allies for pursuing collective security is "completely wrong", as well as underlining "the need to continue the good progress with allies to end the war in Ukraine, and to maintain steadfast support in the face of continued Russian aggression". We do not want this escalation - German chancellor Bethany Bell Foreign Correspondent Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he will try to meet President Trump on Wednesday in Davos, at a World Economic Forum meeting, and adds that tariffs do not benefit anyone. "We do not want this escalation. We do not want a trade dispute with the United States of America,” he says.Merz says the US once had "over 30,000 soldiers stationed in Greenland... but there are currently fewer than 200". He continues by saying "obviously, even the United States' own threat analysis is not as dramatic as it is currently being presented". "The security situation could become more difficult, and since this is European Nato territory, we have an interest in protecting this area as well,” Merz adds. He also says last weekend's reconnaissance mission, when officials said a small French military contingent had arrived in Greenland, "was discussed beforehand in the Nato Council in the presence of the American representative". "So it came as no surprise to the American government that this was taking place. It had been announced, it had been agreed upon… it was never a military action," he adds. EU must 'prepare for all eventualities', says Irish Deputy PM Catherine Moore BBC News Northern Ireland The Republic of Ireland risks being collateral damage in the escalating trade tensions between the EU and the US, a trade body warns. The chief executive of the Irish Exporters Association says that although Ireland has not been directly targeted at the moment, "if the EU - US trade deal that was done last July was cancelled, then who knows what Donald Trump would levy on the whole of the EU, including Ireland", Irish broadcaster RTÉ reports. Speaking in Brussels earlier on Monday, Tánaiste (Irish Deputy Prime Minister) Simon Harris said the "potentially enormous" impact of what is happening means the EU and Ireland must "prepare for all eventualities". "The destabilising effect could potentially be enormous, the cascading effect could be very, very significant. "So now is a time for cool heads, we have worked in good faith with the US administration to put a trade agreement in place, we want to see that agreement implemented in full, we don't wish to see any deviation from that agreement." How could Trump’s latest tariffs over Greenland affect UK firms? By Ben Chu, policy and analysis correspondent The new tariffs US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose on the UK over Greenland have created more fear and confusion among UK businesses. Official data shows about 39,400 individual UK firms exported to the US in 2024. The UK as a whole exported about £64bn worth of goods to the US in the year to June 2025 - about 17% of total goods exports over that period. The largest categories of UK goods exported to the US were medicines and pharmaceuticals, external (£11bn), cars (about £10bn) and machinery (£5bn). These are the sectors - and those who work in them - that are in the line of fire if these threatened 10% US tariffs (rising to 25% from June) are imposed. What would happen to the US-UK trade agreement, external agreed last year under those circumstances is unclear. Among other things, that agreement meant UK car manufacturers could export 100,000 vehicles a year to the US at a preferential 10% tariff rate. It’s possible the deal would survive and these new tariffs would be imposed on top. If the agreement unravelled, the US concessions granted, external to UK car, aerospace and steel exporters could end. Three polls show how Americans view Trump's Greenland policy What do people in the US think about Trump's Greenland plans? Here’s a look at some recent polling. A CNN poll suggests most Americans are against Trump’s plan to take control of Greenland. The survey, which included over 1,200 US adults, found just 25% would support a US attempt to take Greenland, while 75% would oppose it. The issue has even split the president’s own party, with half of Republican-leaning respondents supporting and half opposing. Another Ipsos/Reuters poll of 1,217 Americans, carried out on 12-13 January, found only 17% approve of US attempts to acquire Greenland. A separate YouGov poll of 2,223 adults, conducted on 7 January, found 28% supported buying Greenland, while 45% were against. When asked about using military force to take the island, 73% said they were opposed, while 8% were in favour. Greenland not an EU issue, Hungary foreign minister says Not all EU members agree that the bloc should be involved in the US-Greenland issue. The future of Greenland isn’t a European Union issue, according to Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, who says Hungary won’t support a joint EU statement on the matter. Speaking during a visit to Prague today, Szijjarto says: "We regard this as a bilateral issue that can be resolved via talks between the two parties. "I don't think this is an EU issue." While Hungary is a member of the military alliance Nato and the European Union, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is seen as one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest allies in Europe. Orbán’s previously been accused by his Nato and EU allies of undermining solidarity against Russia. In 2024, he also announced that Hungary would not take part in further Nato-led efforts to co-ordinate security assistance and training for Ukraine. Trump's text on Nobel Peace Prize signals he is serious about taking Greenland Sarah Smith North America editor Trump's extraordinary message to the Norwegian prime minister is petulant and highly undiplomatic. But it also sends the clear and unmistakable signal that Trump is serious about wanting to take over Greenland. He insisted that the world is not secure unless the United States has "complete and total control" of the territory. He went on to say that Denmark cannot protect Greenland from Russia or China and questioned why Greenland was even part of the Danish kingdom. Trump also said that he had done more for Nato than anyone else since its founding and said Nato should do something for the US. In a telephone interview with the NBC network he said that Europe ought to focus on the war in Ukraine - not Greenland. And when asked if he might use force to seize it he replied no comment. Using punitive tariffs is Trump's preferred means of trying to force other nations - allies or adversaries - to do what he wants. But he has also refused to rule out military action over Greenland, which could destroy Nato. He has previously stated that he knows he may face a choice between keeping Nato intact and achieving his goal of taking over Greenland. US tariff against allies 'wrong', 'unwarranted' and 'counterproductive' - Cooper Yvette Cooper says this is a serious moment for transatlantic discussions and partnerships. She says Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for Greenlanders and Danes alone. Trump's use of tariffs against allies, Cooper says, is "completely wrong". "It is unwarranted and it is counterproductive." She adds that Arctic security is a shared concern and responsibility for both sides of the Atlantic. It can only be effectively addressed and maintained through co-operation between transatlantic allies and, crucially, through Nato, she says.