Inside Trump’s push for the US to acquire Greenland
Image: Encyclopedia Britannica
In recent days, President Trump ramped up a pressure campaign against America’s military allies in Europe as part of his renewed push for the US to acquire Greenland from Denmark.
Trump on Saturday announced plans to impose a series of escalating tariffs on eight NATO allies that have opposed his bid to acquire Greenland.
- Rates will start at 10% across all goods on February 1, and increase to 25% on June 1 unless a deal is reached for the US to acquire Greenland.
- In a text message to Norway’s PM, Trump also said he “no longer feel[s] an obligation to think purely of Peace” when trying to acquire Greenland from Denmark.
Some quick background: Trump first proposed acquiring Greenland—a country that’s 3x larger than Texas, but contains fewer people than an NFL stadium—in his first term, and has revisited the topic with renewed interest in recent weeks.
- Greenland is home to rare earth minerals, energy reserves, and potential new shipping lanes, with access to all three projected to grow in the coming years as polar ice continues to melt.
- The island also sits in a prime location directly in-between the US and Russia, across the North Pole.
Analysts across the political spectrum agree that Greenland is strategically important for America on the global stage, though some have pushed back against the notion of a US acquisition.
The arguments
Trump and other top Republicans have framed a US takeover of Greenland as essential to ensuring that America maintains dominance in the Arctic, and to prevent rivals like China and Russia from gaining a foothold in the region.
The proposed takeover is linked to a part of Trump’s new national security strategy dubbed the “Donroe Doctrine,” which asserts that the US is justified to intervene across the Western Hemisphere when necessary to protect American interests.
On the flip side: Leaders of both Denmark and Greenland have insisted the autonomous territory isn’t for sale, and doesn’t want to join the US. Other leaders across Europe have also condemned Trump’s latest tariff threats, with several warning that America’s push to acquire Greenland could spell the end of NATO entirely.
- In the US, Democratic lawmakers and other critics of Trump’s push to acquire Greenland argue that it risks isolating the US on the world stage and turning allies into trade adversaries.
- They also note that the US already has a high degree of military and economic access to Greenland under Danish control.
Looking ahead…Trump has agreed to an in-person meeting to discuss the Greenland situation this week in Davos, Switzerland, where political and business leaders are currently gathered for the annual World Economic Forum.
📊 Flash poll: In general, do you support Trump’s push to acquire Greenland by using economic pressure on America’s NATO allies?
See a 360° view of what pundits are saying →
Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that Trump’s new unilateral tariffs on NATO allies are likely illegal, and means US consumers will now pay higher prices because Denmark, a strong ally which already welcomes America into Greenland, isn’t willing to cede territory.
- Others contend that Trump moving to take Greenland and end NATO would rob the US of an unbeatable web of allies, offer rifts for our common enemies to exploit, and eradicate NATO’s collective moral high ground that has helped project American soft power across the world for decades.
- “Launching another trade war with Europe won’t win Greenland” –WaPo Editorial Board
- “Trump’s Greenland Threats Will Boomerang on America”
- “On Trump and Greenland: get real! Bullying is not strength” –The Guardian Editorial Board
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that Trump is right to identify Greenland as vital to America’s global interests, and is taking the right proactive approach to ensure US dominance in the Western Hemisphere for decades to come.
- Others contend that there are good reasons for Washington to care about Greenland, but Trump is taking reckless risk with the NATO alliance that advances U.S. interests in the arctic.
- “Trump knows good real estate — and he knows Greenland's value to national security” –Rebecca Grant, Fox News
- “The Greenland War of 2026” –WSJ Editorial Board
- “The fake media panic over Greenland” –Becket Adams, The Hill
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