Trump insists US must have Greenland, as Vance trip stokes anger
Plans for the US vice-president’s visit have already been scaled down amid backlash from local and Danish authorities
US President Donald Trump stressed his desire for the US to annex Greenland ahead of a contentious visit by his vice-president, comments likely to further stoke anger in the Danish territory.
Trump said on Wednesday that the mission of US Vice-President J.D. Vance and others on his team would be “to let them know that we need Greenland for international safety and security”.
“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,” the president said during an interview with conservative talk show host Vince Coglianese.
The remarks are Trump’s clearest statements yet about the intent of a flurry of visits from his orbit since he won the 2024 presidential election.
The president initially played down the notion that Vance’s trip was tied to his long-held desire to put Greenland under US control for national security reasons, saying it was about “friendliness, not provocation”.
But on Wednesday, Trump said whether Greenlanders wished to become Americans or not was of secondary concern to him.