A public opinion poll has shown that 85% of Greenlanders are against joining the United States, despite former President Donald Trump’s insistence that the people there desire such a move.
The survey was conducted by the polling company Verian on behalf of the Danish newspaper Berlingske.
Only 6% of Greenlanders support joining the U.S., while 9% remain undecided. Meanwhile, 85% are opposed to becoming part of the United States. The poll also revealed that nearly half of Greenlanders perceive Trump’s increased interest in the island as a threat.
Earlier this month, Trump stated that Greenland is vital for U.S. security and that Denmark should relinquish control over the strategically important Arctic island.
Over the weekend, speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump declared, “I think we will get it (Greenland),” adding that the island’s 57,000 residents “want to be with us.”
The U.S. military already maintains a permanent presence at Thule Air Base (now known as Pituffik Space Base) in northwestern Greenland, a key location for America’s ballistic missile early warning system.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte Egede, who has intensified efforts toward independence, has repeatedly stated that the island is not for sale and that its future should be decided by its people.
