US Annexation Efforts on Greenland May Happen in a Matter of Weeks or Months, Says Trump Aide

A Trump administration official says Washington is still intent on annexing Greenland, even as leaders in Copenhagen and Nuuk insist the island is not for sale. The comments suggest the White House could move on the issue within months, keeping alive one of Donald Trump's most explosive foreign policy ambitions.

Speaking to USA Today, Arctic commissioner Thomas Dans said Trump wants to push the annexation effort 'at high speed', describing it as a 'train route with multiple stops' that could skip straight to the 'main station' if the president gets his way. Dans has been working on Greenland plans since 2020, after billionaire Ronald Lauder first raised the idea with Trump.

Annexation May Actually Take Longer

Despite the bullish tone, Dans admitted any annexation would likely take longer than Trump suggests. He said the US must win over Greenland's 57,000 residents, many of whom favour more independence from Denmark but do not want to become part of the United States. Opinion polls cited in the interview suggest a clear majority support loosening ties with Copenhagen, but only a tiny minority back joining the US outright, creating a political dilemma for Washington. Both Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly stated that the territory is not up for annexation.

'Things can happen quickly from a transactional standpoint,' Dans said, but stressed there would need to be 'a process to gain trust and support of the Greenlandic people', which he acknowledged will take time and effort from the US side.

Denmark Calls for a Meeting

Dans' remarks come as Vice President JD Vance is set to host senior officials from both Denmark and Greenland at the White House on 14 January. Denmark had requested the meeting as Trump has since doubled down on insisting that the US must annex Greenland. The meeting was originally going to be with Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but Vance is said to be taking charge of the discussion.

Danish foreign minister Lars Rasmussen told reporters that Vance asked to join the talks, days after publicly warning European leaders to 'take the security of that land mass more seriously'. Trump has said he would prefer to 'make a deal the easy way', by buying Greenland or securing it through diplomatic channels, but has also threatened to 'do it the hard way' if allies do not cooperate.

Security, Russia, China and the Threat of Force

Trump has repeatedly framed Greenland as a national‑security asset, arguing the US needs control of the mineral‑rich Arctic island to keep Russia or China from expanding their presence there. He has refused to rule out using military force to take the territory, a stance that has alarmed European officials.

Dans, however, played down the likelihood of an invasion, saying only people 'who live in a state of ignorance' should worry about a US attack because Washington already dominates the security environment in the region. That reassurance does little to resolve the core tension: a White House openly talking about annexation, and Danish and Greenlandic leaders just as openly insisting the island is not America's to take.