Donald Trump's appetite for the Western Hemisphere seems insatiable. Just a day after "taking home" Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, Trump has his sights set on his next target: Greenland.
"We need Greenland from a national security perspective," the US president told reporters aboard Air Force One on January 4. The MAGA machine immediately went into action. Katie Miller, the wife of the president's influential adviser Stephen Miller, posted a map of Greenland colored in the American flag with the caption: "COMING SOON".
Greenland and Denmark, as well as much of Europe, are in shock. A year ago, Trump’s threats to the self-governing Arctic territory of 56,000 people, which is part of Denmark, were mostly met with mockery and hostility from European leaders. This time, it’s different.
"Enough is enough", Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen replied. "No more pressure. No more hints. No more annexation fantasies."
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen urged Trump to drop the threats, adding that they "must be taken seriously." European countries quickly closed ranks: all Nordic and Baltic leaders reaffirmed their support for Greenland and Danish sovereignty, as did Britain and France. But behind the show of unity, there was a sense of panic.
As always with Trump, it is difficult to judge how serious his intentions are.
So far, he has listed a colorful palette of reasons for wanting the Arctic territory: access to natural resources; achieving prosperity for Greenlanders; and strengthening America's national security.
His latest statements carry the distinct tone of the 19th-century American Monroe Doctrine, which aimed to exclude foreign powers from influence in the Western Hemisphere.
"This is so strategic... Greenland is littered with Russian and Chinese ships everywhere," Trump commented in his latest remarks.
Outright annexation remains unlikely. But Trump's interest should be taken seriously.
He seems determined to strengthen American influence over the Arctic island and change its status before the end of his term. For now, the administration’s strategy appears to be two-pronged. First, to cultivate elements of the Greenlandic independence movement and deepen divisions with Denmark. Second, to try to make some kind of deal with the island — even if it means bypassing Denmark entirely.
Let’s start with independence. Over the past year, U.S. officials have fueled divisions between Greenland and Denmark. During a visit in March 2025, Vice President J.D. Vance criticized Denmark for failing Greenlanders. He then effectively endorsed the island’s independence, saying that America would “engage with the people of Greenland from there.”
In December, Trump appointed Jeff Landry — the Republican governor of Louisiana and a foreign policy newcomer — as his special envoy for Greenland. The move suggested, at least to some, that America intended to treat Greenland as a separate entity from Denmark.
The CIA and the National Security Agency have also reportedly stepped up surveillance of the Greenland independence movement and have been tasked with identifying local American sympathizers.
The Danish government summoned American diplomats three times last year over reports of espionage and a covert influence campaign in Greenland. Denmark’s military intelligence expressed concern about the United States in its annual threat assessment in December.
Meanwhile, there is growing talk that the Trump administration is working on a deal to offer Greenland. Trump has repeatedly compared the situation to a major real estate deal that would bring vast wealth to Greenlanders.
American officials have discussed the possibility of a so-called Treaty of Free Association (COFA) - an agreement that the United States has traditionally offered to small Pacific nations.
COFA allows American forces to operate freely in signatory countries, with an additional incentive of duty-free trade. The Danes counter that Greenland already hosts a U.S. military base, giving Uncle Sam a wide margin of discretion.
Under the treaty with Denmark, there are no explicit limits on the number of troops the United States can station in Greenland, although any significant increase or change in the U.S. military presence would likely require Danish consent. U.S. officials have reportedly sought direct talks with the Greenland government, but have so far been rebuffed.
In any case, the administration's repeated statements about Greenland are further evidence of the deep hostility of "Trumpland" towards Europe.
While European leaders have tried to downplay the threat, the dispute has taken on a surreal character.
On January 5, the German foreign minister confirmed that, no matter what, Greenland will be protected by NATO's Article 5 - only this time against American encroachment.
Greenlanders themselves, for their part, are bracing for Trump's storm. "[Greenland] is in the Monroe Doctrine zone," says Kuno Fenker, a member of the Greenland parliament and a supporter of independence. "And we know what that means."