President Donald Trump has repeatedly mentioned annexing Greenland. He took another such call hours after the United States captured the Venezuelan leader.
World leaders react to US attack and Maduro’s arrest in Venezuela
World leaders react to the U.S. military strike in Venezuela and the detention of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Syria.
A day after U.S. forces overthrew Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, President Donald Trump appeared to have his sights set on Greenland, the next target for U.S. intervention.
Since taking office in 2025, President Trump has repeatedly threatened to buy the ice-covered Arctic island from Denmark, refusing to rule out seizing the resource-rich land by military force. President Trump has argued that annexing Greenland is necessary for national security, pointing to Greenland’s large amounts of important minerals and strategic location.
He made those calls again on Sunday, January 4, when his government won a victory to oust Venezuela’s socialist dictator and vowed to “run” the South American country until a democratic transition occurs.
“We absolutely need Greenland. We need it for our defense,” President Trump said in an interview published on January 4, noting that the island is reportedly “surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships.”
On the same day, Katie Miller, wife of the president’s acting chief of staff, Stephen Miller, posted a photo of Greenland draped in the American flag. Above it, Miller wrote “SOON.”
In response, Denmark’s ambassador to the United States, Jesper Møller Sørensen, said: “We expect full respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark.”
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen has repeatedly criticized President Trump’s interest in colonizing Greenland. “The United States will not occupy Greenland,” he said in harsh words in December.
Can President Trump forcefully occupy Greenland?
Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark and part of NATO. The population is approximately 57,000. Although the island is heavily dependent on the Danish government, it has the right to hold a referendum on whether to declare independence.
Rufus Gifford, a former U.S. ambassador to Denmark during the Obama administration, said in January 2025 that Denmark’s membership would force the entire alliance to respond to any military action against Greenland.
