Filenews 7 January 2026
US President Donald Trump restated the United States' claim to control Greenland: "We need Greenland for national security reasons, Denmark is not in a position to ensure that." A social media post by Katie Miller showed a map of Greenland in the colours of the US. And her husband, Steven Miller, Trump's deputy chief of staff, questioned in an interview with CNN whether Greenland is legally owned by NATO member state Denmark: "What right does Denmark have control of Greenland? What is the basis of her territorial claim?"
Denmark and several European states reacted by rejecting these new moves. "I have made it absolutely clear what the position of the Kingdom of Denmark is, and Greenland has repeatedly stated that it does not want to become part of the United States," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Monday (5/1): "Unfortunately I am afraid that we have to take the American president seriously when he says he wants Greenland."
What makes Greenland so special?
Greenland is the largest island in the world, about the size of Mexico, Saudi Arabia or the Democratic Republic of Congo, and about half the size of the European Union (EU). However, the more than 2 million square kilometers are home to only about 60,000 people. Most belong to the Inuit Kalaaliit and live in small coastal settlements, with about a third residing in the capital Nuuk. Politically, Greenland belongs to the EU and NATO member state Denmark, but since 2009 it has been largely self-governing. Only foreign and defence policy are still determined by Copenhagen.
Geographically, the island stretches from the North Atlantic to the permafrost of the Arctic Ocean. 80% of Greenland's surface is covered by ice. Only the coastal areas, an area slightly larger than Germany, are ice-free at least in summer.
However, global warming is causing frosts across the entire polar region to gradually shrink. The interior of Greenland is becoming more accessible and the sea routes in the Arctic are becoming navigable at times. As a result, the whole region is increasingly becoming the focus of geostrategic interests: on the one hand, the exploitation of raw material reserves there could soon become more economically viable. On the other hand, new shipping routes are opening up for merchant and warships.
What does the US want from Greenland?
Greenland's underground reserves strategically include critical raw materials such as uranium, oil, and natural gas, as well as the world's two largest known rare earth deposits. In addition, there are nickel, copper, gold and graphite. The Greenland government, within the framework of self-government, has largely suspended the extraction of rare earths, uranium, oil and natural gas for ecological reasons. However, it remains doubtful whether this policy would be maintained if Greenland seceded from Denmark and, in any way, passed into the sphere of direct US influence.
While many analysts see natural resources as a key driver of growing American interest, the US president rejects this and cites the island's geostrategic value. Shortly before Christmas, he appointed a special envoy for Greenland. At the press conference, he said: "We need Greenland for national security, not for natural resources." Washington sees the island as a strategic outpost in the Arctic, especially in view of the growing activity of Russia and China in the region. At the same time, the aim is to limit the access of other major powers to the Arctic resources and to the control of the new sea routes.
Military reasons have also played an important role for decades. Already in 1951, at the beginning of the Cold War, the USA and Denmark signed a defense agreement that allowed the construction of the Thule air base. Today the base is also used for space surveillance and since 2023 it has been called Pituffik Space Base. It is considered a key pillar of the American early warning system for missile launches. The Arctic is much closer to Eurasia, with China, Russia and North Korea, than the US core.
Is the US interest new?
U.S. interest in Greenland is anything but new. As early as 1867, the year the U.S. bought Alaska from Russia, politicians were considering annexing Greenland and Iceland. On July 1, 1868, American newspapers reported that Secretary of State William Henry Seward was close to completing the purchase of Greenland for $5.5 million in gold. The deal did not go ahead, but the idea remained alive for decades. During World War II, when Germany had occupied Denmark, the US did take control of Greenland, but returned it to Denmark after the end of the war.
Even in 1955, security advisers tried to persuade the then US president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, to buy the island. But with the 1951 defense agreement, Denmark had already given the United States so much room for manoeuvre that the cabinet considered the diplomatic risk too high.
The idea was not abandoned for good, but was mainly discussed behind the scenes. Only Donald Trump brought it back to the fore during his first presidential term (2017–2021). A planned trip to Copenhagen in August 2019 was abruptly cancelled after Prime Minister Frederiksen called the idea of selling Greenland to the US "absurd". At the beginning of his second term, in early 2025, Trump reiterated his request. Even after questions, he did not rule out either economic pressure or forcible annexation.
Denmark's claim to Greenland
Denmark colonized Greenland, inhabited by Inuit, about 300 years ago. In 1721, Denmark-Norway sent the first missionary mission. The colonial period ended in 1953, when Greenland joined the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1979, Copenhagen granted self-government to Greenland, and a 2009 law further strengthened autonomy.
Danish sovereignty over Greenland is internationally recognised, including by a 1933 ruling of the Permanent International Court of Justice. Economically, too, the island is heavily dependent on Denmark. However, according to the principles of international law of the United Nations, Greenland has the right to self-determination. The 2009 Autonomy Act includes the right to hold a referendum on full independence. The relevant discussions have intensified in recent years. In light of recent US statements, Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen stressed: "Greenland is our country. This is where our decisions are made. And I will always fight for our freedom and the right to self-determination and for the shaping of our future."
Edited by: Sofia Kleftaki
Source: Deutsche Welle
