Donald Trump has doubled down on his threats to annex Greenland by force, after claiming the mineral-rich territory is needed for US “national security”. European leaders including Sir Keir Starmer have issued a statement declaring that Greenland “belongs to its people” as they defended the territory’s sovereignty and rallied to support NATO ally Denmark. The White House has said that military force could be used on the strategically-important island. “Utilising the US military is always an option at the Commander-in-Chief's disposal,” it said. But why is the US president so fixated on Greenland? The Independent’s Chief International Correspondent Bel Trew breaks down the key issues.
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Bel Trew | Wednesday 07 January 2026 10:04 GMT
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Donald Trump has doubled down on his threats to annex Greenland by force, after claiming the mineral-rich territory is needed for US “national security”.
European leaders including Sir Keir Starmer have issued a statement declaring that Greenland “belongs to its people” as they defended the territory’s sovereignty and rallied to support NATO ally Denmark.
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