Trump’s Greenland Ambitions Raise Alarm in Europe/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Trump insists his renewed interest in Greenland is driven by national security concerns, not conquest. Denmark and European leaders remain skeptical, alarmed by Trump’s rhetoric and past threats of force. Though Denmark offered expanded U.S. military access, the White House shows more interest in control than cooperation.
Trump’s Greenland Push: Quick Looks
- Trump renews interest in acquiring Greenland, citing national security
- Denmark offered expanded U.S. military access — White House uninterested
- European leaders fear U.S. may strongarm NATO ally Denmark
- Trump links Greenland to growing Arctic threats from China, Russia
- Trump officials question Denmark’s right to control Greenland
- VP JD Vance says Greenlanders deserve “self-determination”
- European leaders rally behind Denmark, warn of NATO rupture
- U.S. envoy appointment to Greenland raises diplomatic tensions
- Greenland rich in untapped oil, gas, and rare minerals
- Trump hints at expansionist ambitions in second term
Trump’s Greenland Ambitions Raise Alarm in Europe
Deep Look
President Donald Trump has reignited a geopolitical firestorm with his latest comments about Greenland, declaring the Arctic island essential to U.S. national security. Though Trump frames his interest as a strategic move to counter China and Russia, European leaders — and even some American officials — view the push as an unprecedented challenge to NATO unity and post-WWII international norms.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One over the weekend, Trump claimed, “Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place,” justifying his renewed campaign to bring the mineral-rich island under U.S. control. The president’s remarks follow a U.S. military operation in Venezuela that heightened concerns among allies about Trump’s willingness to use force unilaterally.
Inside the administration, Trump’s fixation with Greenland has grown increasingly personal. According to officials familiar with internal discussions, the White House showed little interest in a Danish offer last year to expand America’s military presence on the island — despite Denmark being a close NATO ally already hosting a U.S. air base at Thule.
“The option of more U.S. military presence has been on the table,” a European defense official said. “The White House is not interested.”
A U.S. official who has participated in diplomatic outreach added, “Trump isn’t interested in a deal. He’s convinced Greenland should just belong to the U.S. — it’s become part of his ‘Donroe Doctrine.’”
The Donroe Doctrine — an informal term Trump has used to describe his vision for U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere — appears to be more about territorial ambition than mutual defense. Even as Denmark’s government continues to welcome deeper U.S. cooperation in Greenland, Trump and his inner circle have raised questions about Denmark’s right to govern the territory at all.
“What is their basis of having Greenland as a colony of Denmark?” asked deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller on CNN, echoing Trump’s own public musings about Greenland’s strategic potential.
Greenland, a self-governing territory under the Kingdom of Denmark, has been under Danish control for centuries. The United States formally recognized Denmark’s claim in 1916 in exchange for the Danish West Indies — now the U.S. Virgin Islands.
But Trump’s rhetoric has shifted dramatically. In recent weeks, he appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as a special envoy to Greenland — a move that further inflamed tensions. Landry has called it an “honor” to help bring Greenland “into the U.S. orbit.”
European leaders are pushing back. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen issued a rare public rebuke, warning that if a NATO member attempts to seize territory from another, “everything stops, including NATO.” She stressed that the alliance’s postwar security architecture cannot withstand such internal threats.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Finnish President Alex Stubb also voiced support for Denmark and warned that any U.S. action against Greenland would fracture transatlantic relations.
Trump’s expansionist comments are not entirely new. During his 2024 campaign, he repeatedly refused to rule out using military force to acquire Greenland. In his 2025 inaugural address, Trump pledged to grow America’s territory, saying, “We will carry our flag into new and beautiful horizons.”
The administration’s new National Security Strategy, released in December, emphasizes defense of the Western Hemisphere. Analysts say the rapid military campaign in Venezuela and the rhetoric around Greenland suggest the doctrine is already in motion.
Greenland’s strategic importance is undeniable. The island sits at a vital Arctic crossroads and is believed to hold billions of barrels of oil, trillions of cubic feet of natural gas, and large deposits of critical minerals like uranium, graphite, and rare earths. Still, most of these resources remain untapped, and experts say securing them would take years of development.
Vice President JD Vance visited the U.S. base at Pituffik in March, where he criticized Denmark’s stewardship. “They haven’t done a good job keeping Greenland safe,” Vance said, though he added that Greenlanders would have the right to “self-determination” in any future U.S. negotiations.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen pushed back, emphasizing Denmark’s willingness to work with the U.S. — but not at the expense of sovereignty. “We respect that the U.S. wants a greater presence, and we are open to that,” he said. “But that must come through partnership, not pressure.”
Despite some conciliatory language from a senior U.S. official, who described recent meetings in Nuuk as “productive,” European leaders remain wary. Trump’s public threats — paired with private dismissals of Denmark’s legal standing — have made negotiations difficult and trust scarce.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Rufus Gifford described the situation as “legitimately terrifying.” He warned that the Trump administration’s disregard for international norms and alliances was doing lasting harm. “Even if the U.S. doesn’t take Greenland, the damage is done,” he said. “Every member of Congress should be screaming bloody murder. If they’re not, they’re complicit in what could be the downfall of the West as we know it.”
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