In a move no one saw coming, Donald Trump kicked off his second term by threatening to take “ownership and control” of Greenland. But after dominating the headlines for weeks, Trump’s desire to take over the world’s largest island got lumped together with all his other imperialistic bullying, like his taunts about making Canada the 51st state. While Trump never stopped talking about Greenland, by the end of 2025 he seemed far more focused on ICE raids and building his White House ballroom.

Then on January 4, the United States attacked Venezuela and deposed its president, Nicolás Maduro. Just hours after the raid, Trump threatened Greenland may be next.

Now, Trump’s threats seem very serious, and the leaders of NATO, Denmark, and Greenland, which is a semi-autonomous Danish territory, are rattled. But is this just more geopolitical bullying? Or is Trump really about to make a move to seize the island? Could he buy it? Would he use military force? Here’s the latest news and everything you need to know about Trump’s renewed drive to acquire Greenland.

Trump has historically not done a great job of articulating why exactly he wants the island, which is largely blanketed by ice and has a population of just 57,000 people.

When asked about his Arctic ambitions a day after the Venezuela attack, he said, “We need Greenland from a national security situation. It’s so strategic … Denmark is not going to be able to do it.” He also said something incoherent about Greenland being “surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships” and made a joke about dogsleds.

Trump: We need Greenland. Right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships.

Reporter: What would the justification be for a claim to Greenland?

Trump: The EU needs us to have it. pic.twitter.com/DQT9cFGxD7

While Greenland is the least-densely populated country, it is important for economic and defense reasons given its location between the U.S., Russia, and Europe. It also has valuable natural resources, such as oil, natural gas, and rare-earth minerals.

Trump often notes that the U.S. has wanted Greenland for a long time, and he isn’t wrong. For more than a century, American leaders have been looking for ways to exert greater control over the island (though no American president in recent memory has talked so openly about seizing it).

Greenland’s strategic value has increased in recent years since melting sea ice has opened up new Arctic shipping routes. Alexander B. Gray 

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