At the Munich Security Conference, Denmark’s prime minister warned that Donald Trump’s ambition to gain control of Greenland has not faded, even as negotiations with Washington continue and Nato races to reinforce its presence in the Arctic.
Trump’s Greenland ambition refuses to fade
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was pressed in Munich on whether the “Greenland crisis” had passed now that talks are underway between Copenhagen, Nuuk and Washington.
“I think the desire from the US president is exactly the same. He’s very serious about this,” Frederiksen said.
Her answer left little doubt: from Denmark’s perspective, Trump’s interest is not some throwaway line or domestic campaign stunt. It is treated as a live strategic push by a sitting US president to gain control over the world’s largest island.
Frederiksen repeated that, for Denmark and Greenland, sovereignty is non‑negotiable. There is, she stressed, no price tag that could be placed on the territory, and Greenlanders have already made clear they do not want to be American.
How the latest Greenland row began
The current flare-up began earlier this year when Trump again spoke publicly about wanting the US to “own” Greenland for security reasons. The White House initially signalled that all options were on the table, including the use of force.
In a move that shocked many European capitals, Trump then threatened tariffs on eight European allies, including the UK, after they opposed the idea of a US acquisition of Greenland.
That hard line softened at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where Trump said he would not use “excessive force” to achieve his aims.
The president said the US would be “frankly unstoppable” if it chose to use force over Greenland, before adding: “But I won’t do that.”
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Behind the rhetoric, the US shifted to a more diplomatic track, talking about a “framework of a future deal” after consultations with Nato allies. Tariff threats were cooled, but not fully forgotten in European capitals.
Talks under way, but red lines are clear
Negotiations are now ongoing between the US, Denmark and Greenland, aimed at easing tensions and addressing US security concerns, including Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic.
Frederiksen said a formal working group is in place, and that dialogue with Washington has improved. Still, she insisted some boundaries are immovable.
Denmark and Greenland “have been clear there are things you can’t compromise on, including territorial integrity,” Frederiksen noted.
Denmark points out that the US already enjoys a significant presence in Greenland under existing defence agreements, including the Thule Air Base, and describes itself as a “strong, reliable partner” on security.
For Copenhagen and Nuuk, the issue is not cooperation but control. Any future deal, they insist, must respect Greenland’s sovereignty and the wishes of its people.
Greenland’s own voice: ‘Not just about us’
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens‑Frederik Nielsen, speaking on the same Munich panel, said Trump had been “transparent” about his ambition to acquire the island, to the point that it is “no longer an elephant in the room”.
He described Greenlanders as resilient people living in a harsh environment and made a wider point about Nato’s integrity:
“Imagine a Nato country acquiring an ally… where would the world stand if that happened?” Nielsen asked, calling Trump’s threats “outrageous”.
Nielsen said that while Greenlanders never felt threatened before, they now feel pressure coming from a Nato ally — the US — rather than from Russia or China. He welcomed new channels of dialogue but warned that his country should not be treated as a bargaining chip.
Europe rallies and sends a message to Washington
Frederiksen argued that the unified European response to Trump’s threats over Greenland changed the political mood around the issue.
“When we stand together, and when we are able to respond as effectively as others, then the markets react,” she said. “And then changes will be seen in the political messages from the US.”
She now frames Greenland as a wake-up call for Europe, saying the episode creates a duty to build a new, more robust security strategy that covers the Arctic and High North.
Boris Pistorius, Germany’s defence minister, thanked European allies for the way they collectively pushed back on Trump’s demands, warning that threats from one Nato ally against another damage the alliance as a whole.
Nato’s Arctic Sentry: a military answer to political pressure
Alongside the diplomatic wrangling, Nato is accelerating its military footprint in the High North. A major new training and operational framework, called Arctic Sentry, was unveiled in Munich.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said the exercise would involve around 20,000 soldiers, knitting together various Nato activities under a single Arctic strategy.
Nato’s Allied Command Operations says Arctic Sentry will create “one overarching operational approach” to keep the Arctic and High North secure.
General Alexus Grynkewich, Nato’s top commander in Europe, said the framework is designed to protect allied territory and reassure member states bordering the Arctic, including Norway, Finland, Iceland, Canada, Denmark/Greenland and the US (via Alaska).
What Arctic Sentry is expected to do
- Coordinate land, sea and air drills across the Arctic and High North
- Improve surveillance of sea lanes and new shipping routes opened by melting ice
- Test rapid‑response plans for crises near Greenland and northern Norway
- Strengthen joint planning against potential Russian or Chinese activity
Pistorius described Arctic Sentry as a system that will allow Nato to react to a wide range of situations in the region “in a way which is appropriate”, not just in Greenland but across the broader Arctic theatre.
Arctic allies warn about Russia–China cooperation
Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand both told the Munich panel that the security picture in the Arctic is shifting quickly.
Murkowski described growing concern over Russia and China working together in the High North. Melting sea ice is opening new shipping corridors and access to resources, raising both economic opportunities and security risks for Arctic states.
“The map hasn’t changed… but the threats have,” Murkowski said, arguing that talk of acquiring Greenland distracts from “the real issue, the real threat, which is Russia” and its deepening cooperation with China.
Anand highlighted that about 40% of Canada’s landmass borders the Arctic, making the region a central security priority. She said Canada has been investing in Arctic policy for years and is deepening diplomatic ties by opening a consulate in Nuuk and another soon in Anchorage.
Why the US wants Greenland in the first place
Trump’s push, while unusually blunt, taps into long‑standing US strategic interests in Greenland. The island sits between North America and Europe, astride key North Atlantic routes and directly under polar flight and missile paths.
| Factor | Why it matters for the US |
|---|---|
| Radar and early warning | Greenland hosts key US facilities monitoring missile launches and air activity over the Arctic. |
| Sea lanes | Melting ice opens new routes between the Atlantic and Pacific, increasing naval and commercial relevance. |
| Mineral resources | Greenland holds rare earths and other minerals that could reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains. |
| Russian military presence | Moscow has upgraded Arctic bases and icebreaker fleets, raising US concerns about access and control. |
From Washington’s perspective, tighter control over Greenland would lock in strategic depth against Russia and limit space for Chinese investment in infrastructure and mining. From Copenhagen and Nuuk’s perspective, that same logic makes Greenland a potential pressure point.
Key terms and scenarios worth watching
Two concepts keep returning in these debates: sovereignty and self‑determination. Sovereignty refers to the recognised authority of a state over its territory. Self‑determination relates to the right of a people — in this case Greenlanders — to decide their political status, whether remaining within the Danish kingdom, moving to full independence, or following some other arrangement.
One realistic scenario is that US ambitions shift away from formal ownership and instead build on deeper security cooperation: more joint exercises under Arctic Sentry, expanded investment in Greenlandic infrastructure, and closer intelligence sharing. That would give Washington greater influence without crossing the red line of sovereignty.
Another, more volatile scenario would see renewed tariff threats or unilateral steps by the US if talks stall. That could strain Nato unity at a time when the alliance is already managing Russia’s war in Ukraine and rising tensions with China. European officials at Munich stressed that they are keen to avoid that path and keep the focus on coordinated defence rather than intra‑alliance confrontation.
For Greenlanders, the risk is becoming the object of great‑power bargaining rather than a full participant in shaping outcomes. Nielsen’s comments about wanting a stronger role in surveillance and security underline a push to be treated not as a prize, but as a partner.