President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States should control Greenland during a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey [1, 2].
The proposal signals a potential shift in U.S. foreign policy toward the Arctic and could strain diplomatic relations with Denmark, which currently holds sovereignty over the island.
Trump said the issue while in Ankara, where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was also present [1, 2]. He said that the territory is vital to U.S. security due to the proximity of Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic region [4, 5].
"It was Greenland that, and it continues to be, that should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark," Trump said [1].
The president framed the move as a necessity for the protection of the North American continent. He said that the United States must take control of Greenland for national security reasons [2].
This revival of the Greenland bid occurs amidst broader discussions at the summit regarding the alliance's role in Europe. The president's focus on the Arctic reflects a growing concern over the strategic mineral resources, and military positioning of rival powers in the north [5].
Trump did not provide a specific timeline or a financial offer for the acquisition during his remarks in Turkey. He said that the current arrangement under Danish control is insufficient for the security needs of the U.S. [1, 2].
“"It was Greenland that, and it continues to be, that should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark."”
By reviving this demand at a NATO summit, the U.S. is signaling that it views the Arctic as a primary theater of geopolitical competition. The focus on Russian and Chinese activity suggests that the U.S. sees the current Danish administration of Greenland as a strategic vulnerability in preventing adversary expansion in the North Atlantic.
