The opposition Demokraatit Party in won a on Tuesday, in vote dominated by US President to take over Denmark’s semiautonomous territory. But Greenland actually favors independence from Denmark and any other country, including the United States.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Greenland’s likely new prime minister, has opposed Trump’s repeated claims to annex the territory. “We don’t want to be Americans. No, we don’t want to be Danes. We want to be Greenlanders, and we want our own independence in the future,” Nielsen told Britain’s Sky News on Wednesday. “And we want to build our own country by ourselves.”
However, both Trump and his supporters have continued to spread false claims about the current political situation between the US and Greenland. looked at two recent, viral assertions.
How many bases does the US have in Greenland?
Claim: “We have a couple of bases in Greenland already,” Trump said during talks with the Secretary-General at the White House on Thursday, adding that the US needed Greenland for national security, as also quoted in this post on X.
DW fact check: False
The United States only has one operable military base in Greenland: Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base), located on Greenland’s northwest coast. It was opened in 1951 and has been under US Space Force command since 2020. It exists today due to agreements between the Kingdom of Denmark and the US, specifically addressing mutual defense.
According to the independent think tank Council on Foreign Relations, “Pituffik is home to approximately two hundred active-duty personnel as well as missile defense and space surveillance equipment — including radar that provides early warnings and detection for intercontinental ballistic missiles launched from Russia.”
Trump has repeatedly said he wants to annex Greenland because it’s . The territory lies between Europe and North America, and its proximity to the Arctic and North Atlantic oceans makes it valuable.
Beyond security concerns, economic factors may also be driving US interest in Greenland. The island is believed to have valuable deposits of oil, gas, gold, uranium, and zinc, particularly in its southern regions. As alters Greenland’s ecological landscape, these resources may become easier to extract, increasing the island’s geopolitical significance.
is currently seeking independence from Denmark; it hasn’t been a Danish colony since 1953. Today, it’s a self-governing territory under Danish control, with Copenhagen managing its foreign affairs, defense and monetary policy.
Did a pro-US party win Greenland’s election?
Claim: “Pro-US/Trump political party won Greenland’s election last night. The people of Greenland want to end European colonial rule and build a future with America,” a viral post on X with more than 277.000 views claimed.
DW fact check: False
This claim is not true. Greenland’s opposition Demokraatit Party , which won Tuesday’s parliamentary election, favors a slow approach to independence from Denmark but is not for US control. It won 29.9% of the vote, and aims to achieve Greenland’s independence when the territory is politically and economically more developed.
As none of the parties won a majority of the 31 seats in parliament, negotiations to form a coalition will be held in the coming days. Official election results in Greenland will take several weeks to be certified by election authorities.
The latest also suggest only 6% of Greenlanders want their island to become part of the US; 85% are opposed to the idea.
Greenland’s outgoing prime minister, Mute Bourup Egede, has also rejected Trump’s repeated demands to take over Greenland, writing on Facebook: “Now the American president has once again ventured the idea of annexing us. I can’t accept that in no way. (…) Because this time we need to tighten our rejection of Trump. Don’t keep treating us with disrespect. Enough is enough.”
Egede will continue to lead Greenland until a new government is formed.
Trump’s interest in Greenland not new
During his first term in office, in 2019, Trump but was swiftly rebuffed by the government in Denmark. But as he kicks off his second administration, Trump has continued to express expansionist intentions — over Canada, the and , in addition to Greenland.
In his speech to Congress in early March, Trump brought up his desire once again, directing his comments to the people of Greenland. “We strongly support your right to determine your own future,” Trump said.
But just two sentences later, he seemed to renege on that statement, saying, “I think we’re going to get it [Greenland] — one way or the other, we’re going to get it.”
Edited by: Martin Kuebler
The post Fact check: Trump’s and supporters’ false claims on Greenland appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
