President Donald Trump said the US needs to "own" Greenland to stop Russia and China from gaining control. "Countries have to have ownership and you defend ownership, you don't defend leases and we'll have to defend Greenland," Trump told reporters on Friday. He added the US will do it "the easy way" or "the hard way." The White House has considered buying Greenland from Denmark, a Nato ally, but also has not ruled out seizing it by force. Denmark and Greenland say the land is not for sale. Denmark warned that military action would destroy the trans-Atlantic defence alliance. Greenland is key for US security due to its position between North America and the Arctic. It is vital for early missile warning systems and tracking ships. Trump claimed, without evidence, Greenland is "covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place." The US already has over 100 soldiers at the Pituffik base in northwest Greenland. Current agreements allow the US to bring in more troops but not full ownership. Trump said leases—whether nine or 100 years—are not enough. "I love the people of China. I love the people of Russia," he said, "But I don't want them as a neighbour in Greenland, not going to happen." He told Nato to understand this position. Denmark’s Nato allies, including major European countries and Canada, support Denmark's control over Greenland. They stressed Arctic security must be handled collectively by allies. They also called for respecting the UN Charter principles of sovereignty and border inviolability. Interest in Greenland has grown due to its valuable resources like rare earth minerals, uranium, iron, and potential oil and gas reserves, all becoming more accessible as ice melts. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will discuss these issues with Denmark next week.