In a social media post, Trump argued that Greenland’s geographic position in the Arctic makes it indispensable to the United States’ evolving defence architecture. “The United States needs Greenland for national security. It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building,” he wrote, once again reviving his long-standing demand to bring the Arctic island under U.S. control. Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and hosts a major U.S. military base at Thule.
Trump went further, asserting that NATO would be “far more formidable and effective” if Greenland were controlled by the United States, signalling frustration with existing alliance arrangements. “Anything less than that is unacceptable,” he said, underscoring his belief that current security frameworks do not go far enough to protect Western interests in the Arctic.
The comments came on the same day that senior Danish and Greenlandic officials were due to hold talks at the White House with Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as diplomatic efforts intensified to manage growing tensions over Greenland’s future and Arctic security.
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Ahead of the meetings, Denmark moved to reassure Washington by emphasising its commitment to regional defence. Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said Copenhagen is strengthening its military presence in Greenland and is in discussions with allies on expanding NATO’s footprint in the Arctic, a region increasingly shaped by climate change, new shipping routes, and strategic competition.
Trump, however, maintained that NATO should take the lead in developing the proposed multi-layer Golden Dome missile defence system, warning that hesitation would create opportunities for U.S. rivals. “If we don’t, Russia or China will — and that is not going to happen,” he said, framing the issue as part of a broader global power struggle.
The U.S. president has repeatedly floated the idea of taking control of Greenland, a vast, resource-rich but sparsely populated island, and has adopted a sharper tone in recent weeks as geopolitical rivalry in the Arctic intensifies. His remarks have once again placed questions of sovereignty, alliance cohesion, and Arctic security at the centre of transatlantic debate.
