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President Donald Trump expressed confidence that Denmark would eventually support the sale of Greenland to the United States, citing the island’s strategic importance for international security.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Monday night while signing executive orders, Trump emphasized the necessity of acquiring the Arctic territory, which is currently an autonomous region of Denmark.
“Greenland is a wonderful place. We need fair, international security, and I am sure Denmark will come along. It’s costing them a lot of money to maintain it,” Trump told reporters.
Trump has advocated for acquiring Greenland since his 2024 election victory, describing it as “an absolute necessity” due to its strategic location and resources. With a population of over 56,000, the island has become a focal point of his administration’s geopolitical strategy.
The president also hinted at the possibility of using military means to secure the island, though he emphasized diplomacy.
“The people of Greenland are not happy with Denmark. They are happy with us,” Trump said, referencing a recent visit by his son, Donald Trump Jr., to Greenland. “We will see what happens, but Greenland is necessary, not just for us, but for international security.”
Trump cited the presence of Russian and Chinese warships in the region as a critical factor. “You have Russian boats all over the place, Chinese boats, warships, and Denmark can’t maintain it,” he said.
Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, pushed back against Trump’s remarks. “Of course, we can’t have a world order where countries, if they’re big enough, can just help themselves to what they want,” Rasmussen told reporters on Tuesday.
Greenland’s Prime Minister, Múte Egede, also rejected the idea of a sale but expressed openness to economic cooperation with the U.S.
“We don’t want to be Danes. We don’t even want to be Americans. We want to be Greenlanders,” Egede told Fox News last week.
While reaffirming Greenland’s ties to NATO and its partnership with the U.S., Egede emphasized Greenland’s autonomy. “We will always be a part of NATO and a strong partner for the U.S.,” he said. “But our future is about cooperation, not being for sale.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reiterated Greenland’s right to self-determination in a recent call with Trump, stating that the island’s future is for its residents to decide.
Public opinion in the U.S. also appears skeptical of the idea. A Suffolk University/USA Today poll conducted last week found that 53% of U.S. voters oppose acquiring Greenland.
