Americans oppose using military force to take possession of Greenland

Washington DC, January 14, 2026 – Just 17% of Americans approve of U.S. efforts to acquire Greenland and the public overwhelmingly says the use of military force to take possession of Greenland would be a bad idea a rather than a good idea (71%-4%), according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. In addition, two in three express concern that U.S. efforts to acquire Greenland will damage the NATO alliance and U.S. relationships with European allies.

The poll finds that Americans have mixed views on the importance of Greenland for U.S. interests: 33% see it as strategically important, 32% say it’s not that important, and 35% are not sure. While there is widespread opposition to the idea of using military force to take Greenland, there is more openness to the idea of the U.S. building additional military bases there under existing agreements (33% good idea vs. 29% bad idea).

This Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted January 12-13, 2026, among 1,217 Americans.

Detailed Findings

1. Very low support exists for U.S. efforts to acquire Greenland.

• A majority of Americans have heard a lot or a little about U.S. efforts to acquire Greenland (78%).
• Far more disapprove (47%) than approve (17%) of U.S. efforts to acquire Greenland; 35% say they are not sure.
• Attitudes differ significantly by partisanship. A large majority of Democrats (79%) and 51% of independents disapprove. Among Republicans, more approve than disapprove (40% vs. 14%), though many say they are not sure (46%).
• Very few Americans (4%) say it would be a good idea for the U.S. to use military force to take possession of Greenland from Denmark; 71% say it would be a bad idea.
• Americans are more open – though still divided – to the idea of the U.S. building additional military bases on Greenland under existing agreements: 33% say this would be a good idea versus 29% who say it would be a bad idea.

2. Americans express concern that efforts to acquire Greenland will damage U.S. relationships and are uncertain about long-term impact of acquisition effort.

• Two thirds say they are concerned that U.S. efforts to acquire Greenland will damage the NATO alliance and U.S. relationships with European allies. Republicans (40%) are less likely to express this concern compared to Democrats (91%) and independents (70%).
• Over the long term, a plurality say U.S. efforts to acquire Greenland will be bad for the U.S. rather than good (45% vs. 24%); 28% don’t think these efforts will have much impact on the country either way.
• More broadly, Americans are split over the impact of President Donald Trump’s willingness to use force around the world: 52% say this approach weakens the U.S. position around the world, while 43% say it strengthens the U.S position in the world. These overall views reflect opposing perspectives between Republicans and Democrats.
• The survey also finds clear public support for U.S. adherence to international law. A large 84%-majority says the U.S. should follow international laws and treaties in pursuing its interests around the world; just 11% say it should be willing to break international laws and treaties to get what it wants.

About the Study

This poll was conducted January 12-13, 2026, by Ipsos on behalf of Reuters, using the probability-based KnowledgePanel®. This poll is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 1,248 general population adults aged 18 or older.

The study was conducted in English. The data were weighted to adjust for gender by age, race and ethnicity, census region, metropolitan status, education, household income, 2024 vote choice and political party identification. Political party identification benchmarks are from the 2025 NPORS annual survey. The demographic benchmarks came from the 2024 March supplement of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS).

• Gender (Male, Female) by Age (18–29, 30–44, 45-59 and 60+)
• Race/Hispanic Ethnicity (White Non-Hispanic, Black Non-Hispanic, Other, Non-Hispanic, Hispanic, 2+ Races, Non-Hispanic)
• Education (Less than High School, High School, Some College, Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree or higher)
• Census Region (Northeast, Midwest, South, West)
• Metropolitan status (Metro, non-Metro)
• Household Income (Under $25,000, $25,000-$49,999, $50,000-$74,999, $75,000-$99,999, $100,000-$149,999, $150,000+)
• 2024 Vote Choice (Trump, Harris, Another candidate, Did not vote)
• Political Party ID (Democrat, Lean Democrat, Republican, Lean Republican, Independent/Something else)

The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.9 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for results based on the entire sample of adults. The margin of sampling error takes into account the design effect, which was 1.06. The margin of sampling error is higher and varies for results based on sub-samples. In our reporting of the findings, percentage points are rounded off to the nearest whole number. As a result, percentages in a given table column may total slightly higher or lower than 100%. In questions that permit multiple responses, columns may total substantially more than 100%, depending on the number of different responses offered by each respondent.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Alec Tyson
Senior Vice President, US
Public Affairs
[email protected]

Annaleise Azevedo Lohr 
Vice President, US
Public Affairs
[email protected]

About Ipsos

Ipsos is one of the largest market research and polling companies globally, operating in 90 markets and employing nearly 20,000 people.

Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. Our 75 business solutions are based on primary data from our surveys, social media monitoring, and qualitative or observational techniques.

“Game Changers” – our tagline – summarizes our ambition to help our 5,000 clients navigate with confidence our rapidly changing world.

Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has been listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120, Mid-60 indices, and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD).

ISIN code FR0000073298, Reuters ISOS.PA, Bloomberg IPS:FP

www.ipsos.com

35 rue du Val de Marne
75 628 Paris, Cedex 13 France
Tel. +33 1 41 98 90 00