Donald Trump has once again voiced his determination for the United States to take control of Greenland, declaring that it must happen “one way or the other.” Unsurprisingly, his comments have not gone down well with Greenlanders.
On March 28, JD Vance visited a U.S. military base on the island, quipping that it was “cold as s**t here” upon arrival. His remark sparked backlash, with some Greenlanders calling him an “embarrassment” and vowing to turn their backs on him out of “disrespect” for the U.S.
Meanwhile, back at the White House, Trump doubled down on his reasoning for wanting Greenland, claiming it is essential for “world peace” and U.S. security.
“We need Greenland, very importantly, for international security. We have to have Greenland,” he insisted, per BBC.
“It’s not a question of, ‘Do you think we can do without it?’ We can’t. If you look at Greenland right now, if you look at the waterways, you have Chinese and Russian ships all over the place, and we’re not going to be able to do that.
“We’re not relying on Denmark or anybody else to take care of that situation, and we’re not talking about peace for the United States. We’re talking about world peace. We’re talking about international security.
“And right now, you look at it—you have warships all over the place going through, right along Greenland.”
Trump insisted that the U.S. would not allow this to continue, and if it did, America would have to “be protective of our country.” He repeated his claim that taking Greenland would mean “protection, not only for our country, [but] of the world.”
Of course, the world has managed just fine without the U.S. occupying Greenland.
Beyond military concerns, Greenland holds valuable natural resources and is a key location for emerging Arctic trade routes, The Conversation detailed. While these factors may be driving U.S. interest, Trump’s vague insistence on “world peace” offers little clarity on how he actually plans to annex the territory.
Greenlanders have made it abundantly clear that they have no interest in becoming part of the U.S., meaning Trump can’t simply buy or persuade his way in. And while he has vowed to “protect it… from a very vicious outside world,” many Greenlanders see Trump’s America as the biggest threat of all.
After all, if “world peace” requires taking over another country, is it really peace at all?
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