President Donald Trump has kicked off 2026 with a firm show of force. From the capture of the Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to threats against Iran in their ongoing crackdown of pro-democracy protests, the world is looking on to see what the American leader will do next. His ongoing fight is to encourage Greenland to part ways with Denmark and join the United States. But why does Donald Trump really want Greenland?
Context
Greenland is a large island located in the Arctic Ocean, on the continent of North America. It gained semi-independence in 1953, when its colonial status ended, and it became part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It’s not the only overseas territory that the Danish maintain control of; they also control the Faroe Islands, located between the UK and Iceland.
Despite its size, only around 56,000 people live on the island, mostly due to its harsh climate and remote location. It has been populated by Inuit communities since 2500 BC. It has been under various Nordic rulers since 986 AD, with the Danish and Norwegian Kingdoms splitting in 1814, and Denmark took control of the island as a result.
In addition, this recent round of demands by Trump isn’t the first time that Greenland has been requested by the United States. They made an offer to buy the island in 1946 for $100 million, but Denmark firmly rejected it. It has been operated as an integral part of the Danish kingdom ever since.
Current security arrangements
Greenland, as a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, enjoys strong military reassurances. It is part of NATO, meaning an attack on it triggers a response by all NATO members, including the USA, UK, France, Germany and other members. This rules out the likelihood of an attack by foreign powers and provides a counterargument to Trump’s claims that not giving the island to the USA would result in a takeover by Russia or China.
The maintenance of Pituffik Space Base, the US Air Force base, also means that the island plays an important role in monitoring the Arctic, primarily for missile activity.
Furthermore, in January 2026, the leaders of Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the UK and Denmark reiterated their support for Denmark in this ongoing feud, stating that “Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”
So, why does Donald Trump really want Greenland?
In the public sphere, Trump has been much more forceful with his demand for Greenland since his first presidency. He has said that control of the island would bolster American power in the Arctic Ocean against increasing threats from Russia and China. A US Air Force Base has been located there since the Second World War, and the US maintains a heavy military presence as a result of a Danish-US agreement.
However, in the private sphere, there is a much more potentially sinister reasoning for Trump’s demands of the island. In recent years, as reported by the BBC, scientists have discovered significant oil and gas reserves, along with a large quantity of rare-earth minerals that can be used in the manufacture of electronic and automotive goods. Denmark has resisted investing in mining infrastructure on Greenland, and this is something Trump looks keen to exploit.
We have seen potentially implicit reasoning for takeovers by Trump already. In his Palestine peace plan, Trump planned to exploit the natural resources of Gaza and the West Bank, mainly covering oil and natural gas, to pay for the reconstruction of the region after the Israel-Hamas war. Additionally, the recent removal of Maduro as President of Venezuela has allowed Trump to request US oil firms to set up operations in the country to begin the extraction of natural resources and to begin “reparation” payments to the US. It’s not unlikely that the White House is looking at Greenland’s expansive rare-earth and natural resources under the guise of national security.
Using this example in essays
Greenland can be used as an example in a range of A Level Politics essays. For USA Politics, it can be used as an example to evaluate the President’s ability to control foreign policy. For Global Politics, it represents a breakdown in the liberal international order and the resurrection of hard power as a method of coercion. It’s also useful when discussing the relevance of NATO in the 21st century.
What next?
Trump seems more and more likely to stage a military takeover of Greenland, which would render the ‘collective security’ arrangement of NATO redundant. This would make the Western alliance a laughing stock to its adversaries, notably China and Russia. Financial incentives and democratic changes are in talks, and we can only watch on as this long-running disagreement continues.
