Attack or purchase: contradictory US signals on Greenland

The US government has recently massively stepped up its threats in this matter - much to the annoyance of its European NATO partners.

President Donald Trump's spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt explained the American claim to Greenland on Tuesday evening (local time): "The President and his team are discussing a range of options to achieve this important foreign policy objective, and of course the use of the U.S. military is always an option available to the Commander-in-Chief."

Trump is said to have demanded a new plan to buy Greenland

According to media reports, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is currently also Trump's National Security Advisor, said in a confidential meeting with US congressmen that the latest threats were not intended to signal a military invasion. The aim was to buy Greenland, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Citing officials, the New York Times also reported that President Donald Trump had asked his staff to present an updated plan for the acquisition of the island. Trump had already brought such a plan into play during his first term in office. The meeting is said to have taken place on Monday.

Denmark and Europeans oppose US advances

Denmark has firmly rejected the US claim to Greenland and the military threats. Head of government Mette Frederiksen said: "If the USA attacks another Nato country, then everything stops." That would be the end of the Western defense alliance and thus also the security architecture that has existed since the end of the Second World War.

In a joint declaration on Tuesday, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Great Britain and Denmark made it clear: Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders. "It is for Denmark and Greenland alone to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland," said the declaration, which was also signed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The government in Greenland, where only around 57,000 people live, also rejects the desires of the US government.

Headwinds in the US Congress too

There is also isolated criticism of Trump's government in the US Congress. Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Senator Thom Tillis, both members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, stated: If Denmark and Greenland made it clear that the island was not for sale, the US would have to honor its treaty obligations and respect the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Trump repeatedly refers to China and Russia in his claims to ownership of Greenland. If you look at Greenland along the coast, you can see Russian and Chinese ships everywhere, he says. It's not about minerals or oil, the USA has enough of that itself. The USA needs Greenland for its national security, he argues. Trump's most recent comments on this followed the US military deployment in Venezuela and global concern that he could now turn his attention to other regions.

Climate change increases Greenland's importance

The world's largest island lies between the USA, Russia and Europe and extends far into the Arctic Circle. Due to climate change, the Arctic is becoming increasingly interesting for civil and military shipping. Greenland is also believed to contain deposits of important minerals, including rare earths. Rare earths are found in all kinds of everyday items such as smartphones, laptops and televisions.

Trump had already expressed a claim to ownership of Greenland in 2019 during his first term of office and wanted to buy the island for the USA. The Danes initially thought he was joking. Since then, the US President has renewed his claims to the Arctic island several times and has not ruled out military force to bring Greenland under his control.

USA maintains military base in Greenland

The USA already has extensive rights to use the island for its own defense - including a defense agreement from 1951. The US military has long operated a military base in remote Pituffik, around 1,500 kilometers north of the capital Nuuk. It supports missile warning systems as well as missile defense and space surveillance missions.

Greenland was a colony of Denmark until 1953, but has been granted ever greater rights of self-government since 1979 and is now largely autonomous. Denmark continues to decide on areas such as foreign and defense policy - Greenland is also part of NATO due to its connection to the Kingdom.