Marta Gichko12:29, 08.01.25

The US president-elect has set his sights on the island, even threatening Denmark with tariffs if it doesn’t agree to a deal.

Newly elected US President Donald Trump has once again raised the idea of ​​acquiring Greenland , a semi-autonomous Danish territory known for its natural resources and strategic location. He has said that ownership of the island is critical to US national security, although there are other potential interests, The New York Times reports.

At a press conference, Trump said, “We need Greenland for national security purposes,” adding that Denmark should hand over the island to the United States to protect the “free world.” He even threatened to impose tariffs on Denmark if it refused the offer.

Trump has used social media to describe the Greenland deal as something that “must happen,” along with the slogan “MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN.”

Denmark has categorically rejected the offer, noting that the world’s largest island is not for sale.

Why does Trump need Grenanda?

1. Natural resources

Greenland is rich in minerals, including copper, lithium, nickel, and cobalt, which are critical to the production of batteries, electric vehicles, wind turbines, and other modern technology. According to a Danish government report published in 2023, Greenland has significant potential for mining many of these essential minerals.

Melting glaciers due to climate change are opening up access to these resources, as about 11,000 square miles of glaciated territory have already disappeared over the past three decades.

2. Strategic importance

Melting Arctic ice also opens up new shipping routes that are shorter and more efficient. For example, the route through the Arctic Sea between Western Europe and East Asia is 40% shorter than through the Suez Canal. This makes Greenland a strategic location for controlling new trade routes.

3. Military and geopolitical advantages

As Robert S. O’Brien, Trump’s former national security adviser, noted: “Greenland is the highway from the Arctic to North America, and its location makes it an important geostrategic asset for the United States.”

Greenland in the world of geopolitics

Other countries, including China and Russia, are also showing interest in the Arctic. China is cooperating with Russia to develop Arctic shipping routes, intensifying global competition for control of the region.

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change a “hoax,” may have been interested in Greenland precisely because of its impacts: melting glaciers opening up opportunities for resource extraction and new trade routes.

Greenland appeals to Trump as a strategic and economic asset that could boost US global influence. But Denmark’s hard-line stance and international competition for the Arctic make this ambitious idea difficult to realize.

Trump Wants to Control Greenland

As UNIAN reported, today an American politician stated that Denmark should give up Greenland and give it to the United States of America.

This is not the first such statement – he has previously said that control of Greenland is absolutely necessary for American interests. After that, it became known that the King of Denmark changed the royal coat of arms , adding images symbolizing Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

(C)UNIAN 2025