How Trump’s push to take the island reached crisis point

2026-01-21 11:44:35

US President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2026.

Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images

The future of Greenland has topped the geopolitical agenda in just two weeks, with warnings of possible military action and talk of the US-Europe alliance being in jeopardy.

So quickly transatlantic tensions over the issue reached crisis point.

Trump’s long-standing interest in Greenland

US President Donald Trump has long argued that the United States needs to control Greenland, saying in 2019 that his administration was interested in purchasing the region because it was… Necessary for US national security But he admitted that the idea wasNot number one on the stove“.

Denmark, which is responsible for the island’s defense, rejected the idea as “ridiculous” at the time. Trump canceled Planned visit to Copenhagen In response.

Trump reiterated his interest in Greenland in late 2024 as he prepared to return to the White House. saying on his TruthSocial platform That the United States feels “that ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”

The Greenlandic flag, known nationally as “Erfalasorput”, flies above homes on March 28, 2025 in Nuuk, Greenland.

Leon Neal | Getty Images

US military operation in Venezuela

The United States stunned the world with its bold military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Celia Flores on January 3. The next day, Trump was interviewed by The Atlantic magazine, and he told the magazine: “We need Greenland, for sure.” He added that it was “surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships.”

“We need Greenland from a national security standpoint, and Denmark is not going to be able to do that, I can tell you that,” he said on Air Force One later that day.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen urged Trump to “stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and another people who have said very clearly that they are not for sale.”

In a show of solidarity, European leaders issued a joint statement on January 6, responding to Trump, saying Arctic security must be achieved collectively.

“It is up to Denmark and Greenland, and only them, to decide on matters relating to Denmark and Greenland.” statement He said. It was signed by the leaders of Denmark, France, Germany, Britain, Italy, Spain and Poland, and later endorsed by other major regional players.

NATO forces deploy in Greenland

Talks were scheduled to take place at the White House between US officials and the foreign ministers of Greenland and Denmark on January 14. Earlier that day, he met with Trump Doubled In a real social post.

“The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of national security. It is vital to the Golden Dome we are building. NATO should lead the way for us to obtain it,” he wrote.

He added, “NATO becomes stronger and more effective with Greenland in the hands of the United States. Anything less than that is unacceptable.” In a subsequent post, Trump said that only the United States could confront the threat posed to the island by Russia and China.

A Royal Danish Air Force Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules aircraft is parked on the runway at Nuuk International Airport on January 15, 2026 in Nuuk, Greenland, a day after it arrived to transport Danish military personnel.

Alessandro Rampazzo | AFP | Getty Images

White House talks later ended without reaching a solution. Shortly thereafter, several NATO members Deploy small numbers of troops To Greenland to conduct a joint military exercise.

The German Defense Ministry said it would send a 13-member team to Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, to help strengthen the security presence in the region at the invitation of Denmark. Forces from France, Sweden and Norway also participated.

Trump threatens to impose tariffs

On Saturday, Trump turned to one of his favorite pressure tools. He threatened to do so Imposing a rising wave of customs duties On eight European countries if they oppose his plans.

Trump He said It will impose a 10% tariff on goods coming from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom, from February 1, which will rise to 25% from June 1.

Greenland Prime Minister (Naalakkersuisut) Jens Fredrik Nielsen (left) and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen give a statement on the current situation at a press conference in the Mirror Room of the Prime Minister’s Office in Copenhagen, Denmark, on January 13, 2026.

Liselotte Sabro | AFP | Getty Images

French President Emmanuel Macron described the threats as “fundamentally unacceptable,” while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the move as “completely wrong.”

It was reported on Monday that European leaders One potential step was an “anti-coercion instrument,” or ACI, which would see the EU restrict US suppliers’ access to the EU market, excluding them from participating in public tenders.

Greenlanders ‘devastated’

For Greenland, a vast island with a population of just 57,000 people, the threat of US takeover has put it at the center of a geopolitical storm. Thousands of Greenlanders marched through Nuuk in protest on Saturday, while an estimated 20,000 people demonstrated in Copenhagen.

In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, Greenland’s Business Minister, Naga Nathanielsen, said the island was left feeling… “Amazed” and “devastated” In the case.

Greenland Business Minister: Threat of occupation

“To suddenly find ourselves in the middle of a storm centered around being acquired as a product or a property is very difficult for us to do — not to mention the threats of military action and actual occupation of our country,” Nathanielsen told CNBC.

Later on Tuesday, Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens Fredrik Nielsen told reporters that he could not rule out a US invasion. He added, “It is unlikely that there will be a military conflict, but it cannot be ruled out.”

European leaders respond in Davos

As these events unfolded, many world leaders were present at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Leader after leader warned of the consequences of Trump’s rhetoric and actions for the transatlantic alliance.

French President Macron, without mentioning Trump by name, warned on Tuesday against becoming a “world without rules” and said Europe would not be intimidated by “bullies.” The fact that Europe is considering using ACI is “crazy,” he said.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told the audience that “the old order will not return” and warned that “nostalgia is not a strategy.” He said that the new system is “a system of intensifying competition between great powers, where the strongest seek to achieve their interests using economic integration as a means of coercion.”