A Reuters/Ipsos poll finds just 17% of Americans approve of Trump’s Greenland plan, with strong opposition to using military force against Denmark.
WASHINGTON: Just 17% of Americans approve of President Donald Trump’s efforts to acquire Greenland, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll has found.
The poll, conducted over two days and concluding on Tuesday, revealed substantial majorities of both Democrats and Republicans oppose using military force to annex the island.
It also showed widespread concerns over Trump’s threats to NATO ally Denmark, which has governed Greenland for centuries.
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Trump has stated Greenland is vital to US security, arguing Washington must own it to prevent future occupation by Russia or China.
The strategically located territory is rich in mineral wealth.
White House officials have reportedly discussed various plans to bring Greenland under US control.
These include using military force or offering lump-sum payments to convince Greenlanders to secede from Denmark.
Some 47% of respondents disapproved of US efforts to acquire Greenland, while 35% said they were unsure.
Only 4% of Americans said it would be a “good idea” for the US to use military force to take possession of Greenland.
That figure includes just one in 10 Republicans and almost no Democrats.
Some 71% thought it would be a bad idea, including nine in 10 Democrats and six in 10 Republicans.
Denmark has warned that using military force would mark the end of the NATO alliance.
Some 66% of respondents said they were worried US efforts will damage NATO and relationships with European allies.
That includes 91% of Democrats and 40% of Republicans.
The poll found appetite for foreign conflict and territorial expansion remains low throughout Trump’s second term.
Some 10% of respondents agreed the US “should use military force to obtain new territory, like Greenland and the Panama Canal”.
That figure is largely unchanged from a similar poll conducted last year.
US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are due to meet Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers at the White House on Wednesday.
The meeting follows a statement from Greenland’s prime minister that his nation would prefer to remain part of Denmark.
The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll gathered responses from 1,217 US adults and had a margin of error of 3 percentage points. – Reuters
