Former U.S. President Donald Trump said the world is “not secure” unless the United States has Greenland, reviving a politically charged debate over the vast Arctic territory’s strategic value and the limits of American influence in the High North.
The remark echoes Trump’s 2019 push to explore purchasing Greenland from Denmark, an idea that strained relations with a key NATO ally. At the time, he canceled a planned state visit to Copenhagen after Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the proposal “absurd,” and officials in Greenland — an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark — said the island was not for sale.
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It was not immediately clear in what context Trump made the latest comment or whether it signals a concrete policy plan. But it underscores the island’s rising profile as climate change reshapes the Arctic, opening sea routes and intensifying competition over critical minerals and military footholds. Any attempt to alter Greenland’s status would require agreement from both Copenhagen and Nuuk, a political and legal threshold that remains exceedingly high.
Greenland’s strategic significance for the United States is long-standing. The country hosts the U.S. military’s northernmost installation, now known as Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base), a linchpin of early-warning systems and space surveillance across the polar region. The island sits astride the North Atlantic approaches, a critical corridor for transatlantic security linking North America and Europe.
Washington has moved in recent years to deepen ties with Greenland short of any sovereignty shift. The United States reopened its consulate in Nuuk in 2020 and has supported economic cooperation aimed at sustainable development and diversified supply chains, including efforts related to rare earth elements. U.S. officials frame these steps as part of a broader strategy to ensure stability as Russia militarizes its Arctic coastline and China expands its commercial and research footprint across the region.
For Denmark, the issue blends alliance politics with domestic and constitutional realities. Under the Kingdom’s framework, Greenland manages its internal affairs and has steadily expanded its autonomy, while Copenhagen retains defense and foreign policy. Leaders in both capitals have consistently maintained that any change in Greenland’s sovereignty is a decision for Greenlanders — and that outright sale or transfer is not on the table.
Trump’s assertion is likely to reignite debate in Washington over how far the United States should go to secure influence in the Arctic, and what tools — diplomatic, economic or military — are most appropriate. Analysts broadly agree that partnerships with Arctic democracies, investments in infrastructure and climate resilience, and clear guardrails for resource development are central to long-term security in the region.
Neither the Danish government nor Greenland’s leadership immediately commented on Trump’s new remark. The White House and the U.S. State Department did not immediately address whether the comment reflects any current policy. This is a developing story.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
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World ‘not secure’ unless US has Greenland, says Trump
Greenland
