Tip Sheets
Cornell expert: Annexing Greenland isn’t necessary to achieve security in the Arctic
March 27, 2025
Media Contact
Adam Allington
U.S. Vice President JD Vance is traveling to Greenland. Vance’s presence in Greenland has unnerved Greenland's leaders who are upset by President Trump’s persistent threats to acquire Greenland one way or another.
James Rogers
Director of the Cornell Brooks Tech Policy Institute
James Rogers is executive director of Cornell University’s Tech Policy Institute, and advises the U.N. Security Council on the global proliferation of high-tech weapons systems. Roger’s says Trump’s desire to annex Greenland is unnecessary to achieve mutually-beneficial security ambitions between the U.S. and Denmark.
Rogers says:
“There is a very real security threat in the Arctic, but with billions of dollars in defense investment earmarked by Denmark in the defense of Greenland, the pivot of NATO toward the Arctic, and large public protests against Vance’s visit, the U.S. case (and support) for annexing Greenland is getting weaker by the day.
“Even in the U.S. there is little interest in the move. A new YouGov poll shows that less than 1 in 5 Americans agree with Trump about annexing Greenland. With these factors in mind, it is becoming clear to all that the administration would be unwise to continue its talk about increasing the U.S military presence without agreement with allies and unjustified in annexing a democratic and allied nation.
“The U.S. has a substantial military presence which has been renegotiated to meet U.S. security requirements many times. Denmark and Greenland have said they are open to discussion about similar security revisions and also economic cooperation (keeping in mind the economic interests of the Trump administration).”
