Trump explained why he wants Greenland

President Donald Trump once again brought up the topic of Greenland, stating that the United States needs the Arctic island for national security reasons, not for its natural resources. He added that the envoy he appointed regarding the island "will lead the effort," Reuters reports.

Reuters reports.

Why does Trump want Greenland, and what preceded this?

On Sunday, December 21, Trump appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland. This sparked a new wave of criticism from Denmark and Greenland regarding Washington's interest in the island, which is rich in natural resources.

As is well known, Trump supports the idea of Greenland becoming part of the United States, citing its strategic importance and mineral resources. Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark.

Landry, who took office as governor in January 2024, also publicly supports this idea.

During his interaction with journalists at the White House today, Trump explained why he wants the island.

"We need Greenland for national security, not for minerals... If you take a look at Greenland, 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 told reporters in Palm Beach, Florida, adding that Landry wanted to "lead the charge."

Earlier, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Premier Jens-Fredrik made a joint statement saying that Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.

"You cannot annex another country. Not even with an argument about international security," they said.

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When Trump returned to power, he repeatedly stated that he wanted to acquire Greenland. In particular, in May 2025, he did not rule out the possibility of using force to intervene on the island.

Meanwhile, there was information in the media that the US had devised a plan to take over Greenland.