US President Donald Trump has once again voiced his desire for the United States to acquire Greenland, citing national security concerns and strategic importance, Al Jazeera reports.
The renewed push comes ahead of a planned visit to the Danish autonomous territory by Vice President JD Vance.
“We need Greenland for international safety and security. We need it. We have to have it,” Trump stated in an interview on Wednesday, reiterating a position he has consistently held since returning to the White House in January.
Despite Greenland being under the control of NATO ally Denmark for six centuries, Trump has refused to rule out the potential use of military force to bring the Arctic territory under Washington’s control.
“We have to have that land because it’s not possible to properly defend a large section of this Earth, not just the United States, without it,” Trump asserted, adding, “It’s an island that from a defensive posture, and even offensive posture, is something we need, especially with the world the way it is, and we’re going to have to have it.”
Greenland’s location between North America and Europe makes it of significant geo-strategic importance amidst rising US, Chinese, and Russian interest in the Arctic region. Furthermore, the territory holds vast untapped mineral and oil reserves, although exploration is currently prohibited, that could potentially reshape global trade dynamics.
When questioned about whether Greenlanders would be receptive to joining the US, Trump acknowledged he didn’t know, but stated, “we have to convince them.”
Greenland has repeatedly expressed its intention to achieve eventual independence from Denmark.
Amidst the growing backlash, the White House has announced that Vice President Vance will now visit the U.S.-run Pituffik Space Base in Greenland instead of a planned dogsled race, where reports indicated an anti-U.S. demonstration was being planned.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has welcomed the decision to limit the visit to the US base.
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