Just 17 percent of Americans approve of President Donald Trump’s efforts to acquire Greenland, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, even as small contingents of European NATO military personnel from France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom began arriving in the Arctic island’s capital, Nuuk, on Thursday.
The two-day poll, which concluded Tuesday, found 47 percent of respondents disapproving of U.S. acquisition plans for the mineral-rich Danish territory, with 35 percent unsure. About one in five said they were unaware of the issue.
The European deployments — described by officials as reconnaissance missions and preparations for joint exercises under Danish-led Operation Arctic Endurance — come in the wake of Wednesday’s White House meeting between Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen described the talks as constructive but highlighted a “fundamental disagreement” over Greenland’s future.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the initial French contingent of about 15 personnel would soon be reinforced with land, air, and sea assets. Germany sent a 13-person reconnaissance team via A400M transport plane, expected to stay until Saturday. Smaller groups from other nations, including Swedish army officers, two Norwegian soldiers, one British officer, and a Dutch naval officer, have also arrived.
Eyewitness reports from local residents in Greenland have provided real-time glimpses into the arrivals. Orla Joelsen, a Greenland patriot known for sharing updates online, posted videos showing Danish Hercules aircraft landing in Nuuk and Kangerlussuaq late Wednesday evening under near-freezing conditions of -1°C. The footage captured soldiers disembarking and being transported by two buses directly to Arctic Command’s headquarters in Nuuk, highlighting the swift logistical efforts amid the escalating tensions.
These on-the-ground accounts underscore the determination of Denmark and its NATO allies to bolster defenses symbolically and practically, as they respond to Trump’s national security claims while emphasizing Greenland’s preference to remain under Danish sovereignty.
Danish officials said the increased military presence, to include rotating allied troops for exercises and training, aims to strengthen NATO’s Arctic footprint for both European and transatlantic security. Denmark and Greenland have stressed there is no immediate threat from Russia or China that they cannot handle.
Trump, speaking to reporters Thursday, reiterated that the U.S. “needs Greenland for national security” and that Denmark lacks the ability to prevent Russia or China from occupying the island. While he did not rule out force, he suggested a deal could be worked out. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the European deployments would not affect Trump’s decision-making or goal of acquiring Greenland.
Support for military action remained low in the poll: Only 4 percent of Americans — including roughly one in 10 Republicans and almost no Democrats — said using force to take Greenland from Denmark would be a “good idea.” Seventy-one percent called it a bad idea, with 90 percent of Democrats and 60 percent of Republicans in agreement. One in three Republicans were unsure.
Sixty-six percent of respondents expressed concern that U.S. efforts could damage the NATO alliance and U.S. relations with European allies. Denmark has warned that military force would end the transatlantic defense pact.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen emphasized this week that his people do not want to be owned, governed, or part of the United States, preferring to remain with Denmark. A Democratic-led U.S. congressional delegation is scheduled to visit Denmark on Friday for further talks.
The poll findings reflect limited public appetite for territorial expansion during Trump’s second term, as he campaigned on avoiding foreign wars like those in Iraq and Afghanistan. Only 10 percent agreed the U.S. should use military force to obtain new territories such as Greenland or the Panama Canal, nearly unchanged from 9 percent in a similar survey last year.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online nationwide, surveying 1,217 U.S. adults with a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
