President Trump bluntly laid out his plans for acquiring Greenland, warning he will not rule out a military invasion if the Arctic island does not accept his offer to purchase it. 

NBC News' Kristen Welker pushed Trump on his repeated threats to take Greenland by force, and his response was sobering.

"I don't rule it out,' Trump said in an interview that aired Sunday morning on Meet the Press. "I don't say I'm going to do it, but I don't rule out anything."

"No, not there. We need Greenland very badly," Trump admitted. "Greenland is a very small amount of people, which we'll take care of, and we'll cherish them, and all of that. But we need that for international security."

Trump on Greenland plans

Officials in Greenland and Denmark, which rules the island as a semi-autonomous territory, have repeatedly pushed back on Trump's expansionist rhetoric.

But Trump has said that U.S. ownership of Greenland is necessary for global security and for Greenland's own protection, as Russia and China show increasing interest in the island and the Arctic region.

Vice President J.D. Vance traveled to Greenland in March for a tour of the island's only remaining military base, which is operated by the United States.

During the visit, Vance accused Denmark of failing to keep Greenland safe as the vice president hinted at a deal in the future that respects the island's sovereignty, but Trump has been more aggressive in tone.

Trump has been eyeing Greenland since his first term in the White House, when he initially discussed purchasing the mineral-rich island. Since returning to the White House, Trump's focus on Greenland has intensified.

While a military invasion may sound improbable, the mere threat of force could pressure Greenland to accept a deal with the United States, or at least, that seems to be what Trump is thinking.

Invading Canada "unlikely"

Greenland isn't the only North American landmass that Trump wants to bring under U.S. control.

During his NBC interview, Trump downplayed the possibility of invading Canada, which Trump has mocked as the "51st state."

"It's highly unlikely. I don't see it with Canada," Trump said. "I just don't see it, I have to be honest with you."

Still, Trump said he will discuss annexing Canada when he meets with the country's newly elected liberal Prime Minister, Mark Carney, who rose to power on a wave of anti-Trump and anti-American sentiment.

Canada needs us

Trump maintained that Canada needs America more than the other way around, pointing to America's large trade deficit with its northern neighbor.

"'I'll always talk about that," Trump said of annexing Canada. "You know why? We subsidize Canada to the tune of $200 billion a year."

"If Canada was a state it wouldn't cost us," Trump said. "It would be great. It would be such a great – it would be a cherished state," Trump added.