What’s Driving Donald Trump’s Renewed Interest In Greenland? All You Need To Know

US President Donald Trump has once again stepped up threats to take control of Greenland, a territory he has long said should belong to the United States. Trump and his close advisers are reportedly discussing different ways to take over Greenland, with the US president saying that it would help strengthen America’s national security.

Trump’s renewed call for the US to take over Greenland comes after a military raid on Venezuela. During the raid, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were detained and taken to New York.

Responding to Trump’s calls, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen said, “That's enough now,” calling the idea of US control a “fantasy,” reported BBC. He added, “No more fantasies of annexation. We are open to dialogue. We are open to discussions. But this must happen through the proper channels and with respect for international law.”

Trump’s interest in Greenland first surfaced during his initial term in the White House, after the idea was floated by his friend Ronald Lauder, the heir to the Estee Lauder cosmetics empire. At the time, Trump described the possibility as a “large real estate deal” and grew increasingly convinced as he learned more about Greenland’s strategic value and the Arctic’s untapped natural wealth.

He reportedly tasked a small internal team with examining options, including the possibility of a long-term lease arrangement similar to a New York property deal, reported The Times. The plan stalled after Trump was informed that Greenland was not for sale, BBC reported. His interest resurfaced after his return to office in January 2025.

Greenland is geographically part of North America, which has led the US to make attempts in the past as well to buy it. Located in the Arctic, it is the world’s largest island that is not a continent and also one of the most sparsely populated territories on the planet.

Around 56,000 people live in Greenland, the majority of whom are indigenous Inuit. Around 80% of the island is covered in ice, leaving most of the population concentrated along the south-western coast near the capital, Nuuk.

Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, complete with its own language, flag and political institutions. But key areas such as defence, foreign policy and monetary affairs remain under Danish authority.

Trump’s repeated demands to take over Greenland have been rejected by both the island’s leadership and Denmark, a fellow Nato member. According to The Times, the US president has even threatened punitive tariffs against Denmark if it refuses to comply with his demands.

Trump’s stance has sent shockwaves through Denmark, a country that has historically maintained close ties with Washington, according to BBC. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that any attempt to seize Greenland would effectively spell the end of Nato. She has also reiterated that Greenland is not for sale. A forced US takeover of Greenland from a long-standing ally would significantly strain the Nato alliance and deepen existing rifts between Trump and European leaders.

In a joint statement, major European allies, including Denmark, said they would “not stop defending” Greenland’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. “Greenland belongs to its people,” the statement said, adding, “The Kingdom of Denmark, including Greenland, is part of NATO,” reported NBC News.

“Security in the Arctic must therefore 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,” the statement said. It was issued by the leaders of France, Germany, Britain, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark.

Trump is exploring several options to acquire Greenland. According to a White House statement on Jan. 6, using the US military is also “an option.”

According to various reports, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement, “President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region. The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilising the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal.”

In his latest state of the union address, Trump said he supported Greenland’s people in deciding their own future, according to The Times. However, he added, “We need it really for international world security. And I think we’re going to get it. One way or the other, we’re going to get it.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio later told lawmakers that the administration’s recent comments on Greenland did not point to an imminent invasion and that the aim is to buy the island from Denmark, reported The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the discussions.

Greenland’s economy is largely dependent on fishing and substantial financial support from Denmark. However, interest in the island’s natural resources has grown in recent years, particularly rare earth minerals, uranium and iron. As climate change accelerates the melting of Greenland’s vast ice sheet, access to these resources may become easier. The pursuit of valuable minerals has been a recurring theme in Trump’s foreign policy engagements elsewhere, including Ukraine.

That said, Trump has pushed back against the idea that resources are his primary motivation. According to BBC, he has said, “We need Greenland for national security, not minerals.” He has also claimed that “Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place.”

Many Republican lawmakers share the belief that growing Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic poses a direct threat to US security interests.