President Donald Trump has continued to declare his desire for Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark.
“NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Jan. 14. “Anything less than that is unacceptable.”
Though he has talked about acquiring the Arctic island since his first term, calls to do so have ramped up in recent weeks since the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela. Denmark and Greenland’s foreign officials met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House on Jan. 14, though the parties did not appear to come to an agreement.
“We didn’t manage to change the American position,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said at a news conference. “It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland. We made it very, very clear that this is not in the interest of the kingdom.”
Multiple polls also show that an intervention in Greenland would be unpopular. A Quinnipiac University poll released Jan. 14 found over 8 in 10 respondents opposed the U.S. taking Greenland by force. In a CNN/SSRS poll out Jan. 15, 75% oppose attempting to take control at all. In an Economist/YouGov poll out Jan. 13, the majority of Americans find Greenland and Denmark to be allies or friendly to the U.S.
So why does Trump want the vast, icy island? Here is what he’s said:
Why does Trump want to take Greenland?
“We need Greenland for national security,” Trump said Dec. 22 at a press conference. “You look up and down the coast, you have Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need it for national security. We have to have it.”
Trump has repeatedly returned to national security as a reason for wanting Greenland. The island’s location could also be strategic for a U.S. ballistic missile warning system. In his Jan. 14 Truth Social post, he said it is “vital for the Golden Dome that we are building.”
The island also has critical minerals used in industries where China has a near-monopoly power. Greenland has mineral deposits of key minerals including graphite, copper, nickel, zinc, tungsten and lithium, all used for making modern technology. However, Greenland currently does little to no mining. Trump also said he is not interested in Greenland for its mineral wealth.
“We have so many sites for minerals, and oil and everything, we have more oil than any other country in the world,” Trump said.
What is Greenland’s response to Trump’s threats?
Greenland and Denmark leaders have repeatedly rebuked Trump’s claims the U.S. will take over Greenland.
“You cannot annex another country. Not even with an argument about international security,” Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a joint statement on Dec. 22. “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders and the U.S. shall not take over Greenland.”
The vast majority of Greenlanders reject the idea of becoming part of the U.S., though some favor independence from Denmark.
Following the White House meeting, Rasmussen told reporters they were trying to address U.S. concerns while maintaining the boundaries of Denmark. He also said Danish intelligence counters Trump’s claims that Chinese ships are dotting the coastline.
Is Greenland part of NATO?
Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, which is part of NATO.
Several top NATO members, including France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Denmark and the United Kingdom, signed a joint statement published Jan. 6 defending the country’s right to sovereignty.
“Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland,” the statement read.
What is Greenland’s size compared to the US?
Greenland is smaller than the U.S., slightly more than three times the size of Texas, according to the CIA. It has a population of about 57,000 people.
Still, it is the largest non-continental island in the world and about 80% covered in ice.
Greenland is located in the Arctic region, northeast of Canada.
Where is Denmark?
Denmark is in Europe between Germany, Sweden and Norway.
Contributing: Michael Loria, Kim Hjelmgaard, Francesca Chambers, Carlie Procell, Dian Zhang, Ramon Padilla, Kathryn Palmer, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at KCrowley@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X (Twitter), Bluesky and TikTok. Subscribe to the free Florida TODAY newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Why does Trump want Greenland? Polls show a US takeover is unpopular
Reporting by Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY NETWORK / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
