Trump Says the United States Must Acquire Greenland
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that the United States must acquire Greenland in the interest of national security, following the appointment of a special envoy tasked with the issue.
“We need Greenland for national security, not for minerals. If you look along the entire coastline of Greenland, you will see Russian and Chinese ships everywhere. We must have Greenland,” Trump told reporters in Palm Beach, Florida, on December 22.
Trump also said that Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who was recently appointed as special envoy for Greenland, would “lead the effort” to bring the island under U.S. control.
Greenland, the world’s largest island, is located near North America between the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. It is an autonomous territory of Denmark, with a population of about 57,000 and an area of approximately 2.16 million square kilometers—larger than Mexico and more than three times the size of the U.S. state of Texas.
The island lies along the shortest route between North America and Europe, making it strategically important to Washington. Greenland is also rich in largely untapped mineral resources. Since returning to the White House, Trump has repeatedly emphasized his desire for the United States to purchase Greenland from Denmark and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve this goal.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen issued a joint statement affirming that Greenland belongs to its people.
“You cannot annex another country, even under the pretext of international security. The United States is not permitted to take Greenland,” the statement said.
Governor Landry, meanwhile, publicly supported Trump’s proposal to annex Greenland. “It is an honor to take on this voluntary role to help make Greenland part of the United States. This position does not in any way interfere with my duties as Governor of Louisiana,” he wrote on the social media platform X.
On December 22, the Trump administration further increased pressure on Copenhagen by suspending lease contracts for five large offshore wind projects under construction off the U.S. East Coast, including two projects developed by Ørsted, a Danish state-owned company.
Over the past year, Denmark has sought to repair relations with Greenland while also working to ease tensions with the Trump administration by investing in Arctic defense capabilities in response to U.S. security concerns. The United States has maintained a military base in Greenland since World War II. Vice President JD Vance visited the base in March and urged Greenlanders to “reach an agreement with the United States.”
The United States reopened its consulate in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, in 2020 during Trump’s first term, after the facility had been closed since 1953.
👉👉 Click now and grab your “Father and Son – Riding Partners for Life” Classic T-Shirt!
Opinion polls show that most Greenland residents support independence from Denmark but oppose joining the United States. The Danish government has repeatedly stated that Greenland is “not for sale” and has criticized actions taken by the Trump administration.