US President Donald Trump on Wednesday renewed his call for the United States to take control of Greenland, claiming the Arctic island was strategically important to global security but “not important” to Denmark.Trump’s comments came as Trump repeatedly reiterated the demand, reigniting a long-running dispute that has strained relations between Washington and Copenhagen and drawn criticism from European allies.Trump, speaking alongside Mark Rutte at a NATO meeting, argued that the United States should not have returned Greenland to Denmark after World War II.“Greenland is very important to the United States, but not to Denmark. In fact, when Denmark was occupied by the Nazis in less than a day … they asked us to take care of Greenland,” Trump said.“We shouldn’t give it back to them because we are the ones who need it. We need it to protect the world, not just the United States,” he added.Rutte said in the exchange that he understood Trump’s concerns about Arctic security, noting that the two sides had previously agreed to increase the U.S. military presence in Greenland. He also said that relevant arrangements will be implemented in phases. However, Trump reiterated that he was still unhappy with NATO, before Rutte praised the US president, with Trump joking: “That’s why I like him.“
Trump again pushes for Greenland construction
Trump’s latest comments follow similar remarks on Tuesday, when he said Greenland “should be controlled by the United States, not Denmark” during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.He believes Denmark is not investing enough in Greenland and claims the island’s location is becoming increasingly important due to increasing Chinese and Russian activity in the Arctic.“Denmark is not going to spend money to actually help Greenland, but it is an important part of it for the United States,” Trump said, adding that Greenland, which is surrounded by Chinese and Russian ships, is vital to U.S. national security.
Why Trump wants Greenland
Greenland, the world’s largest island, is an autonomous territory of Denmark located between North America and Europe. It occupies a strategic position in the Arctic and is located along the main North Atlantic shipping lanes.The island is also rich in rare earth minerals, oil and gas, and melting Arctic ice is expected to open up new shipping routes, increasing its geopolitical importance. The United States already maintains a military presence there under a 1951 defense agreement with Denmark.Trump has repeatedly argued that Greenland is vital to U.S. national security and pointed to growing competition in the Arctic between Russia and China. While he sometimes acknowledged the island’s mineral wealth, he always maintained that security, not natural resources, was the primary reason for his interest.
Denmark rejects Trump’s request
Trump’s renewed calls have been repeatedly rejected by the leaders of Denmark and Greenland.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Greenland was “not for sale” and stressed that Denmark expected its allies to respect Danish sovereignty.The Greenlandic government has also consistently opposed any proposals to make the territory part of the United States, and opinion polls show Greenlandic people overwhelmingly oppose such a move.Trump first floated the idea of acquiring Greenland in 2019 during his first term as president and has floated the idea again since returning to the presidency, describing U.S. ownership or control of the Arctic territory as an “absolute necessity” for national security. His repeated comments remain a source of diplomatic friction between the United States, Denmark and several European allies.
