Greenland’s Uncertain Future
Image courtesy of InstaCapital Switzerland.
By Madeleine Gregg
Since the start of his second term, President Donald Trump has been eager to acquire Greenland. After overseeing a U.S. military operation that removed Venezuela’s former president, Nicolas Maduro, from office, Trump confirmed that he still wants to acquire Greenland.
This is not the first time the U.S. government has expressed interest in acquiring Greenland. In 1867, the U.S. Secretary of State, William Seward, who led the acquisition of Alaska from Russia, expressed interest in acquiring Greenland. Explorers were sent there, and they discovered an abundance of resources like whale blubber and coal. This did not go through because Seward got backlash from the public for acquiring Alaska, since they did not understand what it would offer the country. In his mind, therefore, Greenland was not worth it.
In 1953, the construction of Thule Air Base, a U.S. military base, was finished. The Joint Chiefs of Staff and officials in the Department of Defense recommended that President Dwight Eisenhower try to purchase Greenland from Denmark. They believed that it would be advantageous for the military. However, Eisenhower never tried purchasing it.
Trump mainly wants Greenland because he wants the U.S. to take it before Russia or China gets a chance to control it. He told reporters, ‘It’s so strategic. Right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need Greenland from the standpoint of national “security”. Additionally, it is physically close to Arctic shipping routes, with the melting of ice creating opportunities to reduce Asia-Europe travel time when compared to travel time via the Suez Canal. Greenland is also known for an abundance of natural resources, including oil, gas, and mineral deposits. In March 2025, Trump said he plans to get it “one way or the other”.
Greenlanders have been debating whether they want to be independent. Denmark has said that it would allow this if a large portion of the population voted in favor of it. However, while most Greenlanders would prefer to be independent, they only want it if they do not lose a standard of living that is backed by Denmark’s welfare system. Polls have shown that most Greenlanders do not want the U.S. to annex their island.
On Wednesday, President Trump attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and he reinforced his desire for Greenland. He claimed that he would not allow the use of military force. However, he encouraged NATO to allow the U.S. to take the island from Denmark and said that America’s NATO allies can “say yes, ‘and we’ll be very appreciative. Or you can say, ‘No,’ and we will remember.”
Greenland’s future remains uncertain. It is possible that Trump will lose interest in it, but Greenlanders must prepare for anything.
