Greenland

➡️ GREENLAND UNDER THREAT – Trump Eyes Annexation & Resource Exploitation

Greenland is the world's largest island and home to 56,000 predominantly Inuit people. Not a country in its own right, Greenland is considered an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

Almost 80% of Greenland's landmass is covered by a vast ice sheet that extends over roughly 1.7 million square kilometres. The nature of the island and its geographical positioning make it especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change, particularly warming temperatures.

Approximately 28,000 sq kilometres of Greenland's ice sheet and glaciers have melted over the last three decades.

The U.S. has coveted the island since the 19th century, but interest has grown significantly since the end of World War II. Trump has recently reignited these proposals, and he seems intent on getting it at all costs. Threats to invade or annex Greenland, if actioned upon, would be in direct violation of international law. The Greenlandic government has consistently declared that Greenland is 'not for sale'.

"We don't want to be Americans, we don't want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders." - Statement by Greenlandic leaders

Jump straight to our resources on ➡️ Greenland

Explore our comprehensive guides on -

• U.S. National Missile Defense

• The Arctic Region – Indigenous People & Melting Ice

• Arctic Oil Drilling

• Rare Earth Elements

• U.S. Imperialism & Foreign Policy

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Governance of Greenland

Greenland is a self-governing nation with its own parliament that handles domestic matters, including education, taxation, and justice.

Geographically, Greenland lies on the North American continent, but since the 9th century, it has been politically and culturally associated with Europe. Historically, Greenland was a Norwegian colony, but when the Denmark-Norway union split in 1814, it was transferred to Denmark.

As both countries are part of the wider Arctic region, Norway remains closely interconnected with issues related to the Arctic. Although Greenland has control over its internal policies, Denmark handles international affairs, including defence, foreign relations, and its currency.

Two-thirds of Greenland's budget revenue comes from Denmark. The rest is primarily generated by the island's vast fishing industry.

The current Prime Minister of Greenland, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, has made his stance on Trump's threats to take over ownership of Greenland very clear - "Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States. Greenland does not want to be governed by the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States."

Militarisation of Greenland

Due to its strategic location in the Arctic between the U.S. and Europe, Greenland has experienced increasing militarisation since the early 2000s. Renewed investment in Russia's Arctic military and the reopening of Russian bases have prompted upgrades by the U.S. and Denmark and increased geopolitical competition between the big global powers.

Adding to tensions, the U.S., Russia, and China have also been eyeing new trade opportunities in the Arctic. Melting ice caused by climate change has opened new shipping routes in the northern sea, increasing Greenland's strategic value internationally.

The primary U.S. air base in Greenland is Pituffik Space Base, previously Thule Air Base. The base is positioned on the Northwest coast and was established in 1951 under the Greenland Defence Agreement. The base operates under a NATO framework as long as both Denmark and the U.S. remain members.

In a recent round of modernisation, the base installed Ballistic Missile Early Warning Systems to counter increased military activity from Russia and China in the region.

Since 2019, U.S. President Donald Trump has been loudly claiming that the territory is key to U.S. national security. He has threatened to take ownership by any means necessary, including the use of force.

Trump argues that the Arctic lacks sufficient defence, surveillance, and warning capabilities. In an attempt to prove his point, he described their current defence as 'two dog sleds'. Then, with no evidence, he stated that Greenland is "covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place".

Existing agreements between the U.S and Denmark allow the U.S. to bring unlimited troops to the island. Trump has, however, called the current arrangement a 'lease agreement', stating that U.S ownership is the only way.

Trump's goals to annex Greenland, if acted upon, could threaten the existence of Nato as it currently stands. U.S. military action against a Nato ally would effectively end the alliance and its security framework.

So far, Greenland's leaders and Denmark's Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, have rejected Trump's demands. Denmark has recently announced a £1.2 billion boost in defence spending to purchase inspection ships, long-range drones, extra staffing, and airport expansion to handle F-35 fighter jets. The plan apparently is not in response to this recent escalation but rather has been under discussion for many years.

Opinion polls show that 85% of Greenlanders are firmly against any form of American takeover.

Exploitation for Minerals & Oil

Greenland is estimated to sit on top of more than 30 billion barrels of oil. However, due to extreme temperatures and its harsh environment, 3 decades of exploration have failed to result in any commercially viable operations.

In 2021, Greenland officially banned any new oil and gas exploration. Just a few active licenses remain in Jameson Land, which will remain legal for roughly another decade. Prioritising sustainability, environmental protection, and its fishing industry, the government is staunchly opposed to expanding fossil fuel production. Infact, 70% of Greenland's electricity now comes from renewable sources, primarily hydropower.

Greenland is also rich in rare earth minerals. The island is home to 25 of the 30 raw materials listed by the EU as critical. They rank 8th in the world for reserves, with an estimated 1.5 million tons of untapped deposits. To date, no rare earth mining has taken place on the island.

These minerals are now vital to the production of modern technologies, including smartphones, electric vehicles, military hardware, and everything in between. The market is dominated by Chinese mining and production. China currently mines 60% of the world's rare earth minerals and manages a staggering 90% of their processing.

As the U.S. and Europe attempt to break this mineral stronghold, competition for new opportunities is fierce. Despite the known challenges of mining in Greenland, contractors are already on the ground scoping out a potential new frontier.

The ongoing trade war between China and the U.S., where tariffs reached highs of 145%, has exacerbated economic rivalry. It has not gone unnoticed that Trump's motives in Greenland may not be solely driven by security concerns.

Never before has there been a greater need to protect Greenland from outside interference. Militarisation and exploitation of the territory pose grave threats to this pristine landscape and the indigenous people who call it their home.

Hopes for Sovereignty

If Trump gets his way, then Greenland would become the largest ever land acquisition in U.S. history. Not only would it be devastating for the Greenlandic people, but it would also set a dangerous precedent for future power grabs by the U.S. and other political heavyweights.

This Greenland escalation is hot on the heels of the recent abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Disguised under a thin veil of narcoterrorism, this oil grab from a South American country in crisis was a blatant disregard for international law. We cannot let Greenland become the next victim of Trump's authoritarian regime.

Foreign ministers from Greenland and Denmark will today (14.01.26) take part in a critical meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance.

"The future of Greenland must be decided by Greenlanders" - Jens-Frederik Nielsen

We must restore respect for the borders of not only Greenland but every nation. Sovereign rights must be upheld.

Greenland belongs to its people. We must not allow for the militarisation of the Arctic or the plunder of its rich natural resources.

Author: Rachael Mellor, 14.01.26 licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

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