Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede holds a press conference with Denmark's Prime Minister (not pictured) in Copenhagen on Jan 10, 2025. [Photo/Agencies]
Greenlanders are strongly opposed to United States President Donald Trump's dream of taking over their massive Arctic island, according to a new opinion poll.
The research, conducted by pollsters Verian on behalf of the Greenland newspaper Sermitsiaq and the Denmark media company Berlingske, found 85 percent of Greenlanders were opposed to their mineral-rich, sparsely inhabited island becoming part of the US.
The online representative survey of 497 local adults carried out between Jan 22 and Jan 27 will have added weight to Prime Minister Mute Egede's repeated insistence that Greenland's 56,000 residents do not want to become US citizens.
Earlier this month, after Trump said he wanted Greenland and would use economic means to pressure the population into acquiescing, Egede told reporters: "We don't want to be Danes. We don't want to be Americans. We want to be Greenlanders."
His comment reflected the fact that the island, which is an autonomous territory belonging to Denmark, is contemplating seeking independence and may not want to exchange one colonial overseer for another.
Egede has said the best way forward would be for the island, which is home to US and Danish military bases, to hold a referendum, to see which future is favored by Greenlanders.
Trump, who has not ruled out using military force to gain control of Greenland, appears to want it both because of its rich mineral deposits and because he wants to ensure other nations, including Russia, cannot grab it for themselves.
He has described securing the territory as essential to US national and economic security.
As the poll was published, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen conducted a diplomatic tour of European capitals, to ensure she has the support of other EU and NATO leaders on the issue.
During a meeting with Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz she said: "We are facing a more uncertain reality, a reality that calls for an even more united Europe and for more cooperation."
Denmark also said this week it is planning to increase military spending in the North Atlantic region, to "improve capabilities for surveillance and maintaining sovereignty in the region".
Frederiksen said now is the time for "Europe to define the future of our continent" and added that she thinks it will "have to take more responsibility" for its security.
Denmark's defense ministry has said the additional spending will ensure Denmark has three new Arctic naval vessels, two additional long-range surveillance drones, and additional satellite capacity.
The US has long targeted gaining control of Greenland, with Washington making a move to buy it in 1867, but with the US and Denmark failing to agree terms.
Washington tried again in 1946, after having occupied the island during World War II. Its offer, equivalent to $1.2 billion in today's money, was rejected.
And Trump tried again in 2019, during his first term in office, but the Danish and Greenland governments jointly declared: "Greenland is not for sale."
