Following the high-profile capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, former President Donald Trump has turned his attention to Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory. Despite Trump’s enthusiasm for acquiring Greenland due to its strategic position in the North Atlantic and Arctic, the notion has not resonated with the American public. Instead, the nation remains fixated on the Middle East, despite the conclusion of the two-decade-long conflict in Afghanistan four years ago.
Iran Tops the List in New Poll
According to a poll conducted by JL Partners for the Daily Mail, about 25% of Americans expressed a desire for the U.S. to focus its next foreign intervention on Iran. Russia was the second most popular choice, garnering 18% of the vote, with Cuba closely following at 17%. Only 8% of respondents identified China as a priority for U.S. action. Notably, Iran, Russia, and China are aligned with Venezuela and are considered some of the U.S.’s primary adversaries. The Daily Mail has previously highlighted a plot by Venezuela to facilitate access for Iranian, Lebanese, and Syrian citizens to the West by providing them with Venezuelan passports and citizenship.
The poll, conducted on January 5-6 and involving 1,000 participants, revealed that a substantial 44% of respondents were either unsure or lacked a definitive opinion on where the U.S. should conduct future military operations following the Venezuela mission. Among those who did express an opinion, a mere 5% supported the notion of the U.S. taking over Greenland, a territory under Danish sovereignty since the 14th century. Despite Trump’s ongoing advocacy for acquiring Greenland, the island remains under the protection of NATO alliances, complicating any potential U.S. acquisition.
The president says that enhanced Chinese and Russian activity in the area and the strategic location of the territory is vital for the US to control to maintain national security for Europe and the Americas. The push comes on the heels of Trump’s earth-shattering decision to green-light the abduction and extradition of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores over the weekend. At Wednesday White House briefing, Trump’s Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president is ‘actively’ discussing purchasing Greenland from Denmark.
White House Cites Longstanding Security Interest as Rubio Plans Denmark Talks
‘The acquisition of Greenland by the United States is not a new idea, this is something that presidents dating back to the 1800s have said is advantageous for our national security,’ she said. And Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that he plans to meet with Danish officials next week. It’s still not entirely clear what Trump thinks the US will gain by taking over Greenland rather than working with allies within Europe to maintain a military presence there and coordinating efforts to deflect adversaries.
But Leavitt says it amounts to Trump wanting ‘more control over the Arctic region.’ She added: ‘And ensuring that China and and Russia in our adversaries cannot continue their aggression in this very important and strategic region, and there would be many other benefits as well that again, the President and his national security team are currently talking about.’ During a December 22 press conference, the president said: ‘We need Greenland for national security. 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.’
