[Graphic News] Just 1 in 6 Americans back Trump’s Greenland bid: poll

Just 17 percent of Americans approve of President Donald Trump’s efforts to acquire Greenland, and substantial majorities of Democrats and Republicans oppose using military force to annex the island, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

The two-day poll, which concluded on Jan. 13, showed widespread concerns over Trump’s threats to NATO ally Denmark over Greenland, which has been a Danish territory for centuries.

Trump has said Greenland is vital to US security and that Washington must own it to prevent Russia or China occupying the strategically located territory — which is rich in mineral wealth — in the future.

White House officials have discussed various plans to bring Greenland under US control, including using military force or issuing lump-sum payments to Greenlanders as part of a bid to convince them to secede from Denmark.

Some 47 percent of respondents disapproved of US efforts to acquire Greenland. (Reuters)