Fresh off announcing the dramatic U.S. operation in Venezuela that led to the arrests of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, President Donald Trump is turning attention back to a goal he has teased for years: acquiring Greenland.
The move surprised many observers who expected the administration to stay focused on the fallout in Caracas. Instead, Trump signaled that the geopolitical implications stretch far beyond South America.
“Anyone who would threaten American sovereignty or endanger American lives” is now on notice, he warned shortly after the military action. Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that Cuba is likely “in a lot of trouble” for “propping up Maduro.”
Questions in the Air
While flying aboard Air Force One, Trump faced renewed questions about Greenland, a subject he has floated since 2019. This time, he held nothing back.
“We need Greenland from a national security situation. It’s so strategic. Right now. Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place,” he said as the aircraft headed back to Washington from Florida.
At first, he avoided discussing the Arctic, preferring to focus on Venezuela. Yet he quickly hinted that the topic is far from dormant.
“We’ll worry about Greenland in about two months. Let’s talk about Greenland in 20 days,” he told reporters.
He doubled down moments later, insisting the U.S. must acquire “Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.”
A European Stake in an American Ambition
Trump argued that acquiring the island would benefit America and its closest allies.
“The European Union needs us to have it, and they know that,” he said before moving to other topics.
That assessment aligns with Cold War history. Greenland sits along the shortest flight paths between North America and the former Soviet Union. For decades, the United States expanded its footprint there, developing the facility now known as Pituffik Space Base as a central hub for early-warning radar and long-range surveillance.
China’s Arctic Moves Add Pressure
Meanwhile, China’s growing ambitions in the far north have accelerated U.S. interest. Beijing proclaimed itself a “near-Arctic state” in 2018 and began promoting a “Polar Silk Road” to expand influence in the region.
The Arctic provides the shortest route for long-range threats aimed at North America, making Greenland uniquely valuable for early-warning systems, tracking sensors and missile defense infrastructure.
Even before this renewed push, Trump saw the island as a future cornerstone of U.S. defenses.
“President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
She added that “the President and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and, of course, utilizing the U.S. military is always an option at the commander in chief’s disposal.”
An Old Idea Reemerges
Trump’s interest goes back to his first term.
“It’s just something we’ve talked about,” he said in 2019. “Denmark essentially owns it. We’re very good allies with Denmark. We’ve protected Denmark like we protect large portions of the world, so the concept came up.
“Strategically, it’s interesting. And we’d be interested. We’ll talk to them a little bit,” he added. “It’s not No. 1 on the burner, I can tell you that.”
Greenland, with its 836,000 square miles of ice-covered land and roughly 56,000 people, sits atop valuable reserves of oil, gas and minerals crucial for next-generation technologies.
Internal Debate in Washington
Inside the administration, the idea has stirred debate. White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller defended the seriousness of the proposal.
“For the United States to secure the Arctic region, to protect and defend NATO and NATO interests, obviously, Greenland should be part of the United States,” he said. “And, so, that‘s a conversation that we‘re going to have as a country. That‘s a process we‘re going to have as a community of nations.”
When pressed by interviewer Jake Tapper about whether military force could be used to seize the island, Miller pushed back.
“It wouldn’t be military action against Greenland,” he said. “Greenland has a population of 30,000 people, Jake. The real question is by what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their territorial claim? What is their basis of having Greenland as a colony of Denmark?”
European Anxiety Spikes
The renewed focus has rattled leaders in Denmark.
“It makes absolutely no sense to talk about the U.S. needing to take over Greenland. The U.S. has no right to annex any of the three countries in the Danish Kingdom,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said.
“I would therefore strongly urge the U.S. stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and another people, who have very clearly said that they are not for sale.”
Major European governments issued a united response, emphasizing that Arctic security must be handled together.
They argued it must be “achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies, including the United States, by upholding the principles of the U.N. Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders. These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them.”
They added, “Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”
A New U.S.–Greenland Relationship?
Back home, discussions are now shifting toward what a realistic partnership might look like. Senator Lindsey Graham offered a blunt assessment of the path ahead.
“I’m not saying we’re gonna go take over Greenland. I’m saying we gonna build up our military presence, and we need to create a new relationship between the United States and Greenland to make sure our investment is secure.
“If you want a bigger presence in Greenland militarily, which everybody seems to do, and you want it to be American, which I do, then you need to look at the relationship between us and Greenland before we spend a bunch of money and put our troops on the ground.”
A Strategic Future at the Top of the World
The administration’s posture makes one point undeniable: Greenland is no longer a fringe idea or a diplomatic curiosity. It sits at the center of a rapidly evolving security landscape shaped by Russian proximity, Chinese interest and new U.S. ambitions.
The only question left is whether the world’s largest island becomes the next major chapter in American foreign policy, or the latest geopolitical standoff in the Arctic.
