Donald Trump hopes to control Greenland, a strategic territory rich in mineral resources. But will his plans help the local inhabitants, who dream of emancipation from Denmark?
The autonomous territory is still a part of Denmark, its former colonial ruler. Denmark retains control of security and foreign policy and sends Greenland 4.1 billion Danish krone ($600 million)— nearly half of the territory’s budget — every year.
In elections on March 11, a majority of Greenland’s voters backed the center-right Democrat party, which favors independence from Denmark over the long term. Interest in the territory’s mineral resources has raised hopes among some Greenlanders of future wealth but also concerns about foreign interference.
Trump first talked about buying the territory in 2019, claiming it was vital to the United States’ national security. During a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on January 7, 2025, he didn’t rule out the use of force to take control of Greenland. Several hours later, his son Donald Trump Jr arrived in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, in what appeared to be a public relations campaign designed to make Americans believe that Greenlanders want to join the U.S.
The U.S. has been present on the island for decades. It took control of Greenland during the German occupation of Denmark in World War II and stayed until after the Cold War, at the military base of Thule. The site has since been rebaptized Pittufik Space Base and is considered key to the remilitarization of the Arctic. (The U.S. also twice offered to buy the territory, first in 1867 and again in 1946; Denmark refused both times.)
But despite the Trump administration’s interest in taking control of Greenland, there is little desire among Greenlanders to become a part of the U.S. — even among the few Trump supporters who are tired of Denmark’s influence.
On March 28, Greenland received another unsolicited visit from an American delegation, which this time included Vice President J. D. Vance, his wife Usha Vance, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Greenlanders saw the arrival of the U.S. delegation as a provocation. The territory is currently governed by a caretaker government as political parties negotiate a new coalition. In an interview with a local paper, Prime Minister Mute B. Egede called the visit “highly aggressive,” suggesting, “The only purpose is to demonstrate power over us.”