President Trump hopes to buy Greenland
By: Oliver Straight Nissen
Early this year, President Trump stated that the U.S. “needs Greenland.” This declaration, however, did not come fully out of the blue. In 2019, during his first administration, President Trump visited Denmark, which owns Greenland, to discuss buying the territory. It came as a surprise to Danes then, but after being inaugurated on January 20, 2025, President Trump now seems to be serious about this deal. Although this action might seem harmless on the surface, it symbolizes a great threat to the alliance of the Western world.
There are many reasons why President Trump and the U.S. government have an interest in purchasing Greenland. Firstly, Greenland offers many valuable resources, such as oil, gas, and rare earth minerals that are used in modern technologies. Furthermore, there is geopolitical motivation, as both Russia and China have been expanding their spheres of influence into Arctic territories. Trump claims that buying will increase “national security;” however, Denmark already permitted the U.S. to build a military base in 1953, and they helped to create the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System during the Cold War. Naaja H. Nathanielsen, Greenland’s Minister of Business, Trade, Mineral Resources, Justice, and Gender Equality, has also said that Greenland is “interested in doing business with the States.” With both of President Trump’s motives to buy Greenland addressed, some question why a deal is even on the table.
It may come as no surprise that both the governments of Denmark and Greenland–who have their own prime minister and parliament–are against this deal. Denmark’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, has spoken with President Trump over the matter. One European official said the call was “horrendous.” Others say that the Danes are “in crisis mode” and are “utterly freaked out” by President Trump’s statements, especially since he has not ruled out taking Greenland by military force. Greenland’s Prime Minister, Múte Egede, said, “We are Greenlanders. We don’t want to be Americans…Greenland’s future will be decided by Greenland.” Nathanielsen stated, “We’re not for sale and we’re not a commodity.” Denmark and Greenland are clearly in staunch opposition to this deal, and Danes and Greenlanders alike are fearful that the U.S. might use the military to seize control.
Until now, Denmark always thought of the U.S. as a close ally. Denmark, Greenland, and the U.S. are all members of NATO, but ties go even deeper. Denmark has allowed for U.S. military bases in their territory, and U.S. access to surveillance of Øresund, the strait between Denmark and Sweden that strategically confines much of Russia’s navy.
The fear of the U.S. using its military is not necessarily the primary concern but rather the underlying message it sends to the rest of the world. As they look at Denmark, other U.S. allies are left to question their standing with the U.S. To Russia, China, Iran, and other opposition states, it says that NATO and the Western world are becoming less unified. At the end of the day, what does it say about the strength and cooperation of Western society when one country tries to take territory away from its ally?
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