Why does Trump want Greenland to be part of the U.S.?

US eyes Greenland for strategic advantage as melting sea ice opens up new shipping route.

The Trump administration is keen to assert control over Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory in the Arctic, citing national security concerns. However, the move has been met with fierce resistance from Denmark and the island's own government.

Greenland spans around 836,000 square miles, most of which is covered by massive ice sheets, yet it's home to only about 60,000 people. The country is a prized location for the US due to its strategic positioning between major powers like Russia and Europe.

According to President Trump, Greenland's waters are "covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place", prompting the need for control to ensure national security. However, Greenlanders themselves have repeatedly expressed their desire to maintain good relations with the US but do not wish to be taken over by Washington.

One of the key interests at play is access to valuable mineral resources, including rare earth elements like Neodymium and Lithium that are essential for producing magnets in electric vehicles. The US sees significant potential for mining on Greenland but faces hurdles such as environmental concerns and high costs.

Another area of interest is the newly opened shipping route through the Northern Sea, allowing vessels to save millions of dollars by taking a shorter route between Europe and Asia. In 2021, Russia became the first commercial vessel to traverse this route in winter, highlighting the strategic importance of Greenland's location.

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has insisted that his country wants cooperation with the US but does not want to be taken over. A recent poll showed an overwhelming majority - 85% - of Greenlanders do not wish to join the US.

The Pituffik Space Base, established by the US during World War II, remains a significant presence on the island, raising questions about the extent of American influence in Greenland's affairs.

omg this is so crazy! the us wants control over greenland just because they wanna access some valuable resources and shipping routes? like, i get it, but do they really need to make a big deal out of it? 60k people living there is not exactly a lot to worry about

and can we talk about how the trump admin is already making everything so complicated with their national security concerns? like, have they even considered talking to the danish gov and greenland's own government before making moves?

anywayz, i think it's awesome that 85% of greenlanders don't wanna join the us! that's some serious self-determination right there

omg can u believe the us is trying to grab greenland like its their own back yard lol but honestly dont think its gonna happen, i mean 85% of the ppl dont wanna be taken over by washington thats a pretty big majority i feel for the danes though theyre getting caught in between the us and russia, its like they're being played as pawns in a huge game of geo politics but i think greelanders are smart enough to see through it

omg u think its crazy how the us is eyeing up greenland like it's their own backyard lol i mean 60k ppl living in such a huge space? its like they want all that ice 4 themselves but seriouslly, the environmental concerns & cost factor r a big prob lem. dont get me wrong, those neodymium & lithium ress are super valuable for ev tech but isnt it better 2 prioritize sustainability nstall?

and btw, the pituffik space base is like wut? didnt know that was still active its like they're not even considerin the indigenous ppl's feelings about all this...anywayz, gotta side wit greensland rn, those ppl r clearly tryna keep it independant & self-sufficient.

omg is this for real?! like the us really wanna take over greenland? that'd be so messed up i get that they're worried about security and all but can't they just talk to them instead of trying to control everything? and what's with all these resources being a big deal? can't we just have friendly relations with everyone? plus think about the environment, it's like greenland is already melting fast let's try not to mess things up more.

I think it's kinda weird that the US is super interested in Greenland now, considering the climate change thingy... like, isn't the whole point of having an ice sheet that it's not exactly a navigable route? And what's with all these claims about Russian and Chinese ships being in Greenland's waters? That just seems like a bunch of noise to me. The US should be more worried about their own environmental impact than trying to control some remote island in the Arctic. Plus, 85% of Greenlanders don't want to join the US? That's like saying no to a pizza when you've always wanted it... It just doesn't make sense to me that the US is pushing so hard for this. And what about the people who live there already? Don't they get a say in their own country's future?

omg this is getting crazy!!! i mean, i get why the us wants to assert control over greenland but come on 85% of the people dont wanna be taken over lol what does president trump think they'll just magically agree to join the us? and its not like they're gonna give up their independence for some strategic advantage...i mean i get it, its a great location for shipping routes but is it really worth alienating an entire nation?

this is so wild how the us is trying to assert control over greenland without even talking to the danish gov or the greenlanders themselves it's like they're assuming we'll just roll over and let them have the neodymium and lithium mines for cheap... newsflash america you're not gonna get away with this that 85% of greenlanders don't want to join the us and it's going to cause so much tension between the danish gov and the us. what's next? are they gonna try to take over canada or alaska too?

idk why US is so keen on this , it seems like they're trying to flex their muscles a bit too much. I mean, 60k people living in one place? that's crazy . but seriously, have they thought about the environmental impact of mining all these rare earth elements? and what's with the Russian/Chinese ship thing? didn't they know Greenland is like, 1,000 miles from Moscow? . also, isn't this just another example of how the US wants to control every single resource in the world?

The whole thing feels like a classic case of "there's gold in them there hills" and the US is just trying to muscle its way in to get access to those resources. Newsflash: Greenland doesn't need or want the US just because it has valuable minerals... 60,000 people vs 836,000 square miles, that's some serious perspective right there

gotta say, this whole Greenland thing is super concerning for me... like, I get why the US wants to secure its own interests, but 60k people can't just be sacrificed for geo-strategic gains, right? i mean, think about all the amazing things that could come from us working together with greenland instead of trying to control it... like, have you seen those stunning ice caves in ilulissat? we should be exploring ways to collaborate, not exploiting them.

I'm telling you, this is gonna be a huge mistake for the US if they think they can just muscle in on Greenland like that . I mean, come on, 60,000 people and 836,000 square miles? It's not like they're trying to expand their territory or anything! Denmark and Greenland's government are totally right to resist this, it's a huge overreach of US power.

And what's with the national security concerns about Russian and Chinese ships? That's just a load of nonsense . I'm sure those ships are not "all over the place" as President Trump said, they're probably just doing some routine shipping or whatever. And what's in it for Greenland? They don't need US protection or anything.

And let's be real, this is all about the mining and resources, right? I mean, rare earth elements and Lithium are super valuable, but do we really need to be controlling the whole island to get them? Can't they just negotiate a deal with Denmark like normal countries do?

I'm also super confused by the Pituffik Space Base thing. Like, what's the point of that even? It's not like it's still relevant today . Anyway, I'm all for cooperation and trade between the US and Greenland, but they need to respect their sovereignty here. 85% of Greenlanders don't want to join the US? Yeah, I'd say take that as a no from me .

just thinking about this whole thing makes me wanna take a step back and consider what we're really playing for here... like, 60k people living in this massive landmass with huge ice sheets? it's crazy to think about the impact our actions could have on those people and their way of life...

I'm so concerned about this situation with Greenland! I mean, can you imagine if a country wanted to take over someone else just because they have some valuable resources? It's like, hello, respect and cooperation are key here! The fact that 85% of the people don't want to join the US is pretty clear, right? We should be supporting Greenland in finding its own path and not trying to control it. Plus, have you seen all the amazing wildlife up there? It's like a big ol' nature reserve! I just hope this doesn't set a bad precedent for other countries looking to take over territories for resources...

omg you guys its crazy what the us is trying to do with greeland they wanna take control but greenslanders dont want it like how can u just assert control over some tiny island thats got 60k people lol its not even a country its a territory and theyre already talking about access to minerals and shipping routes its all so shady btw did you know that the pituffik space base has been there since wwii? mind blown

I'm surprised the US is even thinking about taking control of Greenland . I mean, it's just not that strategic an area, you know? It's like trying to buy control of a tiny corner of your neighbor's house just because it's got a decent view of the ocean. And what's with all these concerns about Russia and China? They're not even going to be able to get to Greenland for another decade or so with their fancy space programs .

And don't even get me started on the environment – I mean, have you seen the pictures of the ice caps melting over there? It's like the polar bears are just chillin' in the remaining icebergs, waiting for the US to show up and tell them what to do . Greenlanders want cooperation with the US fine, but they don't want to be bossed around by Washington – that's basic human rights stuff.

I also think it's rich that the US is worried about access to mineral resources while they're over there polluting their own oceans and destroying ecosystems back home . And what about those rare earth elements? Can't the US just, like, build some new factories or something instead of trying to take control of an entire country? It's just so... extra .

Ugh I just read this article and I'm like what's going on with Greenland?! The US is trying to assert control over it for national security reasons but the Greenlanders are all "no thanks" . Like, I get it, strategic positioning is key but can't they see how this could be seen as colonialism? And what about those environmental concerns?! The US wants to mine for rare earth elements and lithium but isn't that just gonna mess up the ecosystem?

And let's not forget about the Pituffik Space Base - what's up with that?! It's like they're trying to set up some kind of American military presence on the island without even asking the locals. I'm just worried it's all gonna come crashing down and we'll have a global crisis on our hands . Can't we just find a way to cooperate with each other instead of trying to take over?