Why does the US want Greenland? What Trump has said
President Donald Trump is renewing efforts to annex Greenland.
Trump floated buying Greenland during his first term and resurfaced his interest in having control over the Arctic island as he headed back to the White House. In an NBC News "Meet the Press" interview that aired in May, he declined to rule out military force to take over Greenland.
Trump announced on Truth Social he would appoint Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as the special envoy to Greenland, telling reporters on Dec. 22 he was a "dealmaker type guy."
"Greenland's a big deal," Trump also said while answering questions at the Mar-a-Lago event, where he announced the construction of two new " Trump-class " battleships.
But why is the president interested in Greenland? Here is what to know.
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Why does Trump want to take Greenland?
"We need Greenland for national security," Trump said on Dec. 22, "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 has repeatedly returned to national security as a reason for wanting Greenland. The island's location could also be strategic for a U.S. ballistic missile warning system.
The island also has critical minerals used in industries where China has a near-monopoly power. Greenland has mineral deposits of key minerals including graphite, copper, nickel, zinc, tungsten and lithium, all used for making modern technology.
However, Greenland currently does little to no mining. Trump also said he is not interested in Greenland for its mineral wealth.
"We have so many sites for minerals, and oil and everything, we have more oil than any other country in the world," Trump said.
What is Greenland's response to Trump?
Greenland and Denmark leaders have rebuked Trump's claims the U.S. will take over Greenland.
"You cannot annex another country. Not even with an argument about international security," Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a joint statement on Dec. 22. "Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders and the U.S. shall not take over Greenland."
The vast majority of Greenlanders reject the idea of becoming part of the U.S., though some favor independence from Denmark.
Is Greenland part of NATO?
Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, which is part of NATO.
Former U.S. ambassador to Denmark under the Obama administration Rufus Gifford said on MSNBC in January that the entire alliance would be compelled to respond to any military action against Greenland due to Denmark's membership.
What is Greenland's size compared to the US?
Greenland is smaller than the U.S., slightly more than three times the size of Texas, according to the CIA . It has a population of about 57,000 people.
Still, it is the largest island in the world and about 80% covered in ice.
Greenland is located in the Arctic region, northeast of Canada.
Where is Denmark?
Denmark is in Europe between Germany, Sweden and Norway.
Contributing: Michael Loria, Kim Hjelmgaard , Francesca Chambers, Carlie Procell, Dian Zhang, Ramon Padilla, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at KCrowley@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X (Twitter) , Bluesky and TikTok .
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump Greenland annex idea is back. What he's said
