Donald Trump has long expressed interest in taking control of Greenland. On Thursday, he took things further, suggesting the U.S. might deploy troops to seize the Danish territory. “I think it’ll happen,” Trump said during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

What started as a proposal to buy Greenland has escalated into talks of military action. Trump stressed the island’s importance for U.S. national security, saying, “We really need it for national security. I think that is why NATO might have to get involved anyway.” He noted the existing U.S. military presence at Pituffik Space Base and warned, “Maybe you will see more and more soldiers go there.”
NATO Secretary General Rutte distanced himself from Trump’s ambitions. “When it comes to Greenland, yes or no joining the U.S., I would leave that outside,” he said.

Greenlanders have rejected the idea. The Demokraatit party, which opposes U.S. control, won Greenland’s election. Incoming Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen declared, “We don’t want to be Americans. No, we don’t want to be Danes. We want to be Greenlanders.”
The question remains: Will Greenland gain independence, stay with Denmark, or become America’s next frontier?