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Trump’s‌ Renewed ⁣Push to Annex Greenland: A Deep Dive

Jan. 4 (UPI) — President Donald Trump said in an interview published Sunday that the⁤ United States needs to annex Greenland “for‌ defence,” while his deputy chief of staff’s wife was reproached by Denmark’s ambassador to the U.S. for a social ​media post about the possible ⁤move.

Trump has consistently discussed annexing Greenland ⁤since before retaking office in January 2025, but has also long ⁣been rebuffed on the idea by officials in both Denmark and Greenland.
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But at a news conference on Saturday morning after the U.S. apprehension of Venezuelan President Nicolas MaduroTrump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio both alluded to the potential of U.S.military action elsewhere in the Americas.

When ⁢asked on Sunday if Maduro’s apprehension should be interpreted by other nations ⁢– as ​an example, Greenland, which does not want to be annexed — as a signal that his governance ⁤might consider military‌ action to pursue more goals, Trump demurred.
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“They are going to have to view‌ it themselves,” Trump told The Atlantic in an interview on Sunday.⁤ “I really don’t know … But we‌ do need ⁣Greenland, absolutely. We need it⁢ for defense.”

He ‍also noted that the​ NATO ally⁤ is “surrounded by Russian and Chinese ⁤ships.”

Trump previously has⁤ refused to rule out military action to annex Greenland, saying ‌in May that he wouldn’t “say I’m not going to do it but I don’t rule out anything … We need Greenland very⁢ badly,” The ‍Guardian reported.

Greenland, which is the world’s largest island, is ‍a self-governing territory of Denmark. It is largely covered‌ with ice, though it has oil