Why does Trump want Greenland, and what could it mean for Nato?
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that the US should take over Greenland, arguing that it would benefit his country’s security.
Their demands were rejected by the island’s leaders and NATO member Denmark, where Greenland is a semi-autonomous region.
Where is Greenland and why is it important to Trump?
Greenland, the world’s largest non-continent island, is located in the Arctic.
It is also the most sparsely populated area. About 56,000 people live here, mostly indigenous Inuit people.
About 80% of its land is covered in ice, which means most people live on the southwestern coast around the capital Nuuk.
Greenland’s economy is based mainly on fishing and receives large subsidies from the Danish government.
But in recent years, interest in Greenland’s natural resources, including the mining of rare earth minerals, uranium and iron, has increased. These may become more accessible as global warming causes the large ice sheet covering the island to melt.
Precious mineral resources have been a major focus for Trump elsewhere in the world, including his relations with Ukraine.
However, the US president said: “We need Greenland for national security, not mines.”
He also said, “Everywhere in Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships.”
What did Trump say about US control of Greenland?
Trump reiterated his previous calls for the US to seize Greenland after president Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured and taken to New York during a US military raid on Venezuela.
Following Trump’s subsequent statements regarding Greenland, the island’s Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen responded by saying “that’s enough” and described the idea of US control as a “fantasy”.
But Trump and his aides reiterated their threats. The president said he was “very serious” about his plans, adding that Greenland was important to the security of Europe as well as America.
During his first term as president in 2019, Trump offered to buy the island but was told the island was not for sale.
He revived his interest after returning to the White House in January 2025 and did not rule out the use of force.
There have also been controversial high-level visits to Greenland. Vice President J.D. Vance traveled there in March and gave a speech accusing Denmark of not investing enough to protect the region.
A new debate has flared up over US intentions with Jeff Landry, whom Trump appointed as a special envoy to Greenland in late 2025 and who has spoken openly about making the island part of the US.
What did Denmark and other NATO allies say?
Trump’s stance shocked NATO ally Denmark, which has traditionally had close relations with Washington, according to BBC News diplomatic correspondent James Landale.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that any effort to seize Greenland would mean the end of NATO, a military alliance of Western nations of which both Denmark and the United States are members.
Another NATO leader, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said that only Greenland and Denmark can decide the future of the island.
The European Union’s foreign policy spokesman said the bloc would defend the principles of “national sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
Why does Denmark control Greenland?
Although part of the North American continent, Greenland has been controlled by Denmark, some 3,000 km (1,860 mi) away, for nearly 300 years.
But the United States’ security interest in Greenland also goes back a long way, and two American administrations before Trump made unsuccessful efforts to achieve this interest.
The island was governed as a colony until the mid-20th century. He remained isolated and poor for most of this time.
After Nazi Germany occupied mainland Denmark during World War II, the United States occupied the island and established military stations and radio stations.
After the war, American forces remained in Greenland. Pituffik Cosmodrome, formerly known as Thule Air Base, has been operated by the United States since then.
A 1951 defense treaty with Denmark gave the United States a major role in the defense of the region, including the right to build and maintain military bases.
In 1953, the island became part of the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenlanders became Danish citizens.
A referendum on home rule in 1979 gave Greenland control of most policies within the region, while Denmark retained control over foreign relations and defence.
Greenland hosts Danish military bases as well as American ones.
ReutersWhat do the people of Greenland think?
In response to Trump’s threats in early 2026, Greenlandic Prime Minister Nielsen said: “No more pressure, no more innuendo, no more annexation fantasy.
“We are open to dialogue. We are open to discussion. But this must happen through appropriate channels and with respect for international law.”
BBC correspondent Fergal Keane heard a phrase over and over when he visited the island in 2025: “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders. So Trump can visit, but that’s it.”
The issue came to the fore in the general elections held in the region that year.
Polls show that most Greenlanders support independence from Denmark, but an overwhelming majority also reject the idea of becoming part of the United States.
When Trump first floated the idea of buying Greenland in 2019, many locals said they were against the proposal.
“This is a very dangerous idea,” said tour operator Dines Mikaelsen.
“He treats us like a commodity he can buy,” said Aleqa Hammond, Greenland’s first female prime minister.
