“We need Greenland… I think we will go as far as we have to go…” U.S. President Donald Trump explained to a crowded press conference in the White House on March 27. Trump has been trying to acquire Greenland, the largest island in the world and an autonomous territory of Denmark since his first term and has brought this goal back in his current term. This goal has created tension between Europe and the United States as the oft-forgotten island has been driven into the limelight.
Greenland is located in the Arctic Circle and is largely populated by the Indigenous Greenlanders, an Inuit people. In 1814, the Treaty of Kiel transferred the island to the Kingdom of Denmark after it had been passed around for several hundred years between Scandinavian countries.
In 2009, Greenland was granted home rule by Denmark, giving it the ability to form its own government and pass its own laws. Along with this, it receives funding from the Danish government. The U.S. came to Greenland in 1951 to construct Thule Air Base, which has been renamed Pituffik Space Base. It is a satellite monitoring and weather station that monitors the global air traffic of enemies and allies.
Greenland has been a key location in security since the Cold War. It is the shortest distance between North America and Europe. Pituffik Air Base is key in monitoring Russian airspace and the Arctic Ocean trade routes. The island also holds a large deposit of rare earth minerals. These 19 minerals are used in things ranging from cell phones to Tesla cars. It also contains massive reserves of oil located under the ice sheet that covers the northern area. 
This space base was the focus of a recent visit by the U.S. Vice President JD Vance. During this visit, Vice President Vance made a collection of claims aiming to show a more diplomatic view than that of President Trump in taking the territory. “Our message is very simple, yes, the people of Greenland are going to have self-determination. We hope that they choose to partner with the United States because we’re the only nation on earth that will respect their sovereignty and respect their security.” Vance explained at the Airbase. He also took aim at Denmark saying “Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland. You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, […]”
In response to these statements and interests, the Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen explained in a video statement, “Of course, we are open to criticism, but let me be completely honest, we do not appreciate the tone in which it’s being delivered.” He further explained, “This is not how you speak to your close allies, and I still consider Denmark and the United States to be close allies.”
This visit, which originally was meant to be a solo cultural visit by Second Lady Usha Vance, received a less-than-welcoming atmosphere from the Greenlandic people. The response highlights a key question. What do the people of Greenland want?
A poll from the Danish newspaper Berlingske and Greenlandic daily Sermitsiaq showed that only 6% of Greenlanders were in favor of joining the United States. It also showed that 85% opposed joining the U.S. and a further 45% saw the country as a threat. The newly formed Greenlandic government also shares this disinterest in joining the U.S. while at the same time having an interest in gradual independence from Denmark.
While Vance was visiting the country, and during the planning of Usha’s original visit, there were protests throughout the capital, Nuuk. Reports later emerged that American officials couldn’t find people willing to meet with Usha when they went door to door in Nuuk, leading to the canceled cultural tour and the addition of JD Vance. Since the 2009 Home Rule Act, Greenland has had the right to hold a referendum to declare independence. The American government has floated that the referendum may be used to join the U.S., but the poll numbers have shown little interest.
If the U.S. is unable to find support from the Greenlandic people, what options remain to them?
Looking back in time, we saw that U.S. President Harry Truman attempted to buy the island in 1946. Truman offered $100 million in gold and an oil lease in Alaska for the territory. This offer was firmly rejected by the Danes, with a deal to create Pituffik Space Base being reached instead. This offer was made in private while the current Trump administration has been very public about the desire to claim the island.
Outside of legal diplomatic attempts, there have been potential references to potential military attempts to take Greenland. Trump explained in an interview with NBC that while “There’s a good possibility it could be done without military force, I don’t take anything off the table.” His current Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, has also made his position unclear on what is possible on Greenland and other military actions. As a territory of Denmark, Greenland is a member of NATO. As a member, it has Article 5 protections. This means an attack against one NATO member would be an attack against all. In the unlikely event of military action in Greenland, it would be defended by some members. The Finnish Foreign Minister has confirmed that they would respond to Article 5 calls. This, however, led to more confusion with the U.S. as a NATO member and what this could mean for defense.
Despite all the uncertainty that surrounds the island, the Greenlandic and Danish governments remain steadfast. The Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen explained, “This is not only about Greenland or Denmark, this is about the world order that we have built together across the Atlantic over generations. You cannot annex another country, not even with an argument about security […]”.
