I Saw First‑Hand Why Trump Still Wants More from Greenland

Published: 19 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

Visiting Greenland recently offered a stark reminder of why United States President Donald Trump continues to make the vast Arctic island a central focus of his foreign policy — and why that ambition is fuelling tensions between Washington, Copenhagen and other Western capitals. In a dispatch from the remote territory, it’s clear that Greenland’s geostrategic and economic value has not diminished despite repeated rebuffs from Denmark and widespread local opposition to ceding control of the island.

Trump’s interest in Greenland is not new; he first floated the idea of purchasing the territory during his earlier presidency. Now, even after talks at forums such as Davos, he has reiterated his desire to negotiate a future arrangement with respect to the island and the broader Arctic region — although he has publicly ruled out using military force to seize it.

Greenland’s location at the gateway between the Arctic and the North Atlantic makes it highly attractive from a military and surveillance standpoint. The island’s proximity to North America, Europe and potential polar shipping routes gives it strategic importance in the context of great‑power competition with Russia and China — a point the Trump administration has seized on repeatedly as justification for its stance.

But it isn’t just military geography that motivates Trump’s continued focus on the Arctic. Beneath Greenland’s vast ice cover lies significant mineral wealth — including rare earth elements and other critical minerals essential for advanced technologies, renewable energy and defence production. Experts argue that as climate change reshapes the Arctic landscape and makes natural resources more accessible, Greenland’s economic value will only rise.

That combination of strategic positioning and potential resource access helps explain why Trump, backed by some in the US political establishment, remains determined to secure “more” from Greenland — even in the face of firm Danish resistance and scepticism from many Greenlanders themselves. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has stressed that Trump remains intent on acquiring Greenland and has affirmed Denmark’s desire to protect the territory’s autonomy.

Amid these high‑level manoeuvres, regional actors are responding as well. Nordic governments are pursuing deeper cooperation and integration with Greenland and other Arctic partners, partly to counterbalance intense external pressure and to affirm the sovereignty of the island and its neighbouring regions.

Yet for many residents and observers in Greenland, the debate isn’t just about geopolitics or economic opportunity. It touches on identity and self‑determination, as indigenous voices and local leaders insist the island is “not for sale” and reject any perceived attempts to diminish Greenlandic autonomy — even under the banner of security or economic development.

As Trump’s ambition for Greenland remains alive in diplomatic circles, the island continues to stand at the crossroads of geography, global power dynamics and the aspirations of its own people — a rare place where the interests of great powers and the will of a small community intersect with potentially world‑shaping consequences.

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