Why Trump wants Greenland: Military security, rare minerals, trade routes, for starters
President Donald Trump has wanted to acquire Greenland – by direct purchase, economic pressure, strategic pact or outright annexation – since at least 2019. His overtures have been rebuffed over the years, but his efforts continue.
"I think we’re going to get it," Trump said in his congressional address in March. "One way or the other, we’re going to get it." Greenland is vital to U.S. national security, Trump says.
Paste BN analysis: Five ways Trump's Greenland saga could play out
Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, a member of NATO. Leaders of both countries have pushed back against Trump, saying Greenland is not for sale. A January poll of island residents showed 85% don't want to be part of the U.S.
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Relations between the U.S. and Greenland further deteriorated this week with the announcement of a visit by a U.S. delegation that includes national security adviser Michael Waltz, Vice President JD Vance and Vance's wife, Usha Vance. They're expected to arrive Friday.
Múte B Egede, Greenland’s prime minister, said the visit was “foreign interference” by Trump and asked the international community to intervene.
Why does Trump want Greenland?
Greenland is an island nation roughly as big as Alaska and Montana combined. It has a population of about 56,000, nearly the same as Carson City, Nevada.
About 80% of Greenland is covered with ice, some of it a mile thick. Most of the island is inside the Arctic Circle, which is being transformed by climate change.
The nation's economy is based on exports of fish and shrimp, along with economic support from Denmark. But that could change as the Arctic ice melts.
What is the US interested in?
Minerals. Along with uranium and iron, Greenland has rare earth minerals, a group of 17 metals valued for their use in advanced industries from smartphones to MRI machines to weapons systems. The U.S. was once a top producer of rare earths, but it has been replaced by China.
Greenland is estimated to have the eighth-largest reserve of rare earths. Gaining access to them would reduce U.S. reliance on China – though the Chinese have already invested in Greenland mining projects.
Shipping. The Arctic Ocean provides a shortcut for ships traveling between the U.S. and Asia and between Europe and Asia, according to the U.S. Naval Institute. The distance is about 40% less than routes using the Panama Canal or the Suez Canal.
That has revived geopolitical interest in which nations will control the trade routes, not only for economic interests but also national security.
Military. Trump has said Greenland is vital to U.S. security. There is historical precedent: After Germany occupied Denmark in World War II, the U.S. set up military bases in Greenland as part of the Allied effort and remained there after the war.
Pituffik Space Base, formerly Thule Air Base, is still operated by the U.S. and Denmark. It's the only U.S. base in Greenland and is used for missile defense and space surveillance missions.
China and Russia have been increasing their Arctic military presence, according to a 2024 report by the Arctic Institute. The study recommended that the U.S. and NATO pursue a proactive Arctic strategy.
CONTRIBUTING Kim Hjelmgaard
SOURCE Paste BN Network reporting and research; Reuters; U.S. Naval Institute; Arctic Institute