What Makes Trump So Want to Control Greenland?

What is the current position and status of Greenland?

Greenland is a vast ice-covered island. Its position is strategic, situated between Europe and North America. Its current population is approximately 56,000, with the majority being indigenous Inuit people.

Greenland was a former Danish colony for 300 years. In 1953, the island became part of the Kingdom of Denmark. The people of Greenland became Danish citizens. In 1979, they obtained semi-autonomous status and established their own government, although the defense and foreign affairs sectors remained under Danish control.

Most of Greenland's population resides in its capital, Nuuk. Geographically, Nuuk is closer to Washington DC, the capital of the United States, which is 3,252 kilometers away, compared to Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, which is 3,500 kilometers away.

The US has long wanted to acquire Greenland. The BBC notes that in 1867, US Secretary of State William H. Seward led negotiations to purchase Greenland from Denmark. However, they failed.

In 1946, the United States again offered 100 million dollars to purchase Greenland, but Denmark rejected the proposal. During his first term (2017-2021), U.S. President Donald Trump attempted once more to buy Greenland. Once again, the effort failed.

Why is Trump so keen to take over Greenland?

Trump's ambition to acquire Greenland was first expressed in 2019, during his first term. Upon being re-elected in 2025, he reiterated his desire. Following the U.S. military attack on Venezuela on January 3, 2026, the desire to take control became increasingly unstoppable.

The main reason Trump is eyeing Greenland has been hinted at multiple times. Trump is concerned about the strengthening presence of China and Russia in the Arctic region.

"Currently, Greenland is filled with Russian and Chinese ships. We need Greenland from a national security perspective," said Trump to reporters while on Air Force One, January 4, 2026.

The United States has long had interests in Greenland. After World War II, the United States established a presence in Greenland through the Pituffik military base. U.S. Vice President JD Vance visited there in March 2025 and reiterated the United States' desire to take over Greenland. According to the United States, Denmark will not be able to maintain control over Greenland.

"If Russia sends missiles towards the US, the shortest route is through the Arctic and Greenland. That is why the Pituffik Space Base is very important in supporting the US," said Associate Professor at the Royal Danish Defense College Marc Jacobsen.

In addition, Greenland is known to possess mineral wealth in the form of rare earth metals. These minerals are essential for high-tech industries, such as electric vehicles, wind turbines, smartphones, and missile systems.

What is Greenland's defense and economic value?

In the current security landscape of the North Atlantic, Greenland is associated with the GIUK Gap (Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom). The GIUK Gap is a strategic maritime corridor in the North Atlantic.

Greenland's position to the west, Iceland in the center, and the United Kingdom to the east form a natural gateway used by NATO as a monitoring zone to track the movements of Russian warships and submarines from the Arctic to the Atlantic.

The defense value of Greenland for the United States primarily relies on the Pituffik Space Base. This base was established under the Denmark–US defense agreement in 1951. Pituffik supports three key functions: early warning of missile attacks, missile defense support, and space surveillance.

In addition to defense aspects, Greenland is sought after for its economic value. Beneath the melting ice layer, Greenland contains important components for today's high-tech and modern devices.

Melting ice also opens new shipping routes and access to natural resources in Greenland. Before melting, access to the Arctic was nearly impossible for economic exploitation.

A study on resources in 2023 indicates that Greenland has the potential to possess reserves of up to 31 types of approximately 50 rare earth minerals, such as lithium and graphite for electric vehicle batteries, as well as neodymium for electric motor magnets.

For the European Union (EU), the presence of Greenland is important for the energy transition process. In 2023, the EU signed a mining agreement with Greenland to secure future raw material supplies. Greenland has a similar agreement with the United States.

Why are superpowers scrambling to gain a presence in the Arctic region?

Greenland is rich in rare earth minerals, located near the junction of Arctic shipping routes, and has a strategic position for defense. These three factors place Greenland at the heart of the Arctic, which is currently a stage for global power competition.

The United States has long been concerned about the possibility of the Arctic becoming an increasingly militarized arena of competition. In May 2019, the then Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, expressed worries that the Arctic Ocean was turning into a new South China Sea, fraught with militarization and competing territorial claims.

According to a paper from the Arctic Institute, China and Russia have been building their Arctic military capabilities in recent years. The paper calls for the United States to enhance its presence in the Arctic to counter its competitors.

Russia is strongly present in the Arctic through military bases, naval fleets, and submarines, as well as the largest fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers in the world, enabling year-round operations. Moscow has designated the Northern Sea Route as a national strategic corridor. Russia also views NATO's activities in the region as a threat and is therefore committed to strengthening its military posture in the polar area.

Meanwhile, China has asserted its ambitions by referring to itself as a near-Arctic state. Since 2018, China has been promoting the idea of building a silk road in the polar region, known as the Polar Silk Road or Ice Silk Road. This concept is part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) framework.

China's policy document on the Arctic, titled "China’s Arctic Policy," released in 2018, mentions the development of Arctic shipping routes as part of its strategy. On October 14, 2025, China celebrated its successful maiden voyage that penetrated the Arctic shipping route.

How do the people of Greenland and Denmark respond?

The people of Greenland and the Danish government flatly rejected Trump's proposal, saying, "Greenland is not for sale!"

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen emphasized that it is completely unreasonable for the United States to take over Greenland. "The United States has no right to annex any of the three countries in the Kingdom of Denmark. I urge the United States to stop threatening allies that have historically been close and other countries or nations that have clearly stated they do not wish to be taken over," she stated.

Trump's claim that Denmark is unable to protect Greenland is contradicted by concrete actions from Copenhagen. In recent years, the Danish Government has increased its military presence in Greenland and the North Atlantic. Denmark also operates a joint command center, the Joint Arctic Command, in Nuuk with a mandate for surveillance, enforcement of sovereignty, and defense of the territory of Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

Through a joint statement, several European leaders expressed their support for the sovereignty of Greenland. In the joint statement, they stated that Greenland belongs to its people. Only Denmark and Greenland have the right to decide matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.