Since the beginning of the year, President Donald Trump has been expressing his interest in annexing Greenland and making it part of the United States. While there are economic and political advantages to acquiring this territory, there are also some challenges, including rallying support.
President Trump eyes Greenland for its political and economic advantages.
Source: Felipe Dana, AP Newsroom
Trump has stated that acquiring Greenland is important for the national security of the United States and to prevent China or Russia from controlling it first.
“Annexing Greenland would also help with the implementation of Trump’s Golden Dome initiative, which should be pursued,” said Dr. Gary Rose, professor and scholar in residence.
According to congress.gov, the Golden Dome of America is an initiative by the Trump Administration “to develop an integrated air and missile defense system.” The goal is to enhance the capabilities of detecting any threat from enemies by air, space, ground, and sea.
“Donald Trump has said that Greenland has geopolitical advantages, but the United States already has the ability to use Greenland for military purposes,” said Dr. Steven Michels, Political Science & Global Affairs department chair.
The Pituffik Space Base is the only U.S. military base in Greenland. It is the most north military base, with one of its main functions being missile warning and detection.
Acquiring Greenland has its advantages economically, but the land poses issues.
“There are rare earth minerals and untapped oil reserves in Greenland that if mined and tapped could benefit the U.S economy,” said Rose. “The problem; however, is that mining and drilling for oil in Greenland is extremely difficult due to the terrain and the depth of the ice.”
While Trump has his sights set on Greenland, Americans and politicians from both sides of the aisle are divided over the matter.
“It’s also not popular among Democrats and Republicans in Congress,” said Michels. “There’s no point in talking about the advantages of conquest.”
“I personally don’t think it makes a lot of sense,” said junior Juliana Morello, president of College Democrats. “Trump wants to show China that he could potentially mess with their interest in Greenland.”
“Republicans see the benefits of annexing Greenland, while Democrats are totally opposed to this initiative,” said Rose.
“Healthcare, and affordability are on the minds of the American people as we approach the 2026 congressional elections, not the annexation of Greenland. But this does not mean that Trump will give up on his desire to annex Greenland.”
One thing most Americans agree on is not taking Greenland by military force.
“According to a Quinnipiac poll, only 9 percent of American registered voters favored the option of acquiring Greenland by force,” said Michels.
“Using military force to acquire Greenland could lead to conflict that we can’t afford to get into right now,” said Morello. “President Trump has said that he won’t use military force to acquire Greenland, and I am choosing to believe him.”
On Jan. 21, Trump posted on Truth Social that him and Mark Rutte, Secretary General of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), “have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region.”
With this agreement, taking Greenland by military force has most likely been ruled out.
Although a framework for a deal has been created, it is unclear what is next for the United States and Greenland.
“Most of the European countries that are part of NATO are also opposed to the U.S. annexing Greenland. So, if Trump decides to use the military to take over Greenland it would cause a major problem regarding the unity of NATO,” said Rose.
