President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the United States needs Greenland for national security not for its natural resourses, repeating his long-held view that control of the Arctic island is essential.
Trump said, “We do need Greenland, absolutely,” claiming it is surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships. He also suggested that Venezuela may not be the last country to face American intervention.
Trump has again argued that the US must protect the Western Hemisphere from rival powers. He said Greenland is vital because of growing Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic, especially as melting ice opens new shipping routes and military opportunities.
🚨#BREAKING: President Trump has announced saying that we need Greenland for national security we have to have it pic.twitter.com/rDYZdL0qTF
🚨#BREAKING: President Trump has announced saying that we need Greenland for national security we have to have it pic.twitter.com/rDYZdL0qTF
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) January 4, 2026
Last year, Trump said he believed the US would gain control of Greenland, adding that the island’s 57,000 residents “want to be with us”.
He first raised the idea of buying Greenland during his first term in 2019, calling US control an “absolute necessity” for international security.
Greenland lies between North America and Europe and hosts the US Thule Air Base, which plays a key role in missile defence.
Earlier, Trump had pointed to Greenland’s large reserves of rare earth minerals, oil, gas and other resources, saying they are important for US supply chains and security.
Trump says Cuba is ‘ready to fall’
Trump has said that Cuba’s communist government is “in a lot of trouble”, suggesting it could be the next to face pressure from Washington after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Trump said Cuba was “ready to fall” and would struggle to survive without heavily subsidised oil from Venezuela. He added that many Cubans were killed during the US operation to seize Maduro, though he said no further US action might be needed. “It looks like it’s going down,” he said.
Trump’s comments, along with remarks by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, point to a tougher and wider US approach across the Western Hemisphere. Rubio warned that Cuba, one of Venezuela’s closest allies, played a key role in protecting Maduro. Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, Rubio said Cuban guards, not Venezuelans, were responsible for Maduro’s security. He also claimed Cubans ran parts of Venezuela’s internal intelligence system.
Trump later described Cuba as very similar to Venezuela and called it a failing nation, saying the US wanted to help the Cuban people. In response, Cuban authorities organised a rally backing Venezuela and condemned the US operation, warning that the entire region now faced a serious threat.
