US President Donald Trump suggested that Greenland may be under the operational control of Washington before the end of his current presidential term.
Trump made the corresponding statement on July 31 in an interview with Real America's Voice TV host Steve Gruber. The reporter recalled his prediction that by the time Trump leaves office, Greenland will be under US operational control, and asked whether the island remains key to the defense of the Western Hemisphere.
“Yes, you would be right,” Trump replied, suggesting the host “make that bet.”
The US president did not specify how Washington could gain control of the island, and did not announce a new agreement with Denmark or the Government of Greenland. Therefore, his words are still a political statement, and not an announcement of an agreed plan or timetable for the transfer of the territory.
In July, Trump already stated that Greenland should be under the control of the United States, not Denmark. He explained his position by the strategic location of the island and the need to counter the activities of Russia and China in the Arctic.
Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen responded by saying that Greenland was not for sale and called on the allies to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Danish kingdom. The authorities of Greenland also emphasize that the future of the island can only be determined by its inhabitants.
Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Danish kingdom. It independently regulates most domestic issues, while defense and a large part of foreign policy remain in the competence of Copenhagen.
US interest is connected to Greenland's location between North America and Europe, control over Arctic air and sea routes, missile launch warning system, as well as potential deposits of rare earth and other critical minerals. The United States already has the Pituffik space base on the island, the former Thule Air Base.
American interest in acquiring the island arose long before Trump. The US Congressional Research Service notes that the issue of possible acquisition of Greenland was raised by Washington in 1868, 1910 and 1946.
The closest the US came to actually controlling the island was during World War II. After the German occupation of Denmark, the Danish ambassador in Washington, Henrik Kaufman, signed an agreement with the United States on the defense of Greenland on April 9, 1941.
The document preserved Danish sovereignty, but allowed the United States to build and guard military facilities. In the defense areas created, the US was given exclusive jurisdiction, with the exception of matters concerning Danish citizens and the indigenous population.
The American military built airfields, radio stations, meteorological stations and other infrastructure on the island. They ensured the defense of the territory and pushed out the German units that landed there.
Therefore, it can be said that during the war the USA actually controlled the military security, key transport facilities and strategic areas of Greenland. However, there was no full political control or American sovereignty over the entire island — formally it continued to belong to Denmark.
After the end of the war, Washington did not want to leave the island completely. In December 1946, US Secretary of State James Byrnes suggested that the Danish leadership consider the direct sale of Greenland. The American military leadership considered the purchase of the island the best option, and long-term basing rights as an alternative. Copenhagen did not accept the offer.
In 1951, the USA and Denmark concluded a new defense agreement within the framework of NATO. It established the American military presence and allowed the creation of the Thule Defense District. The base built there later became an important element of the missile attack early warning system and space surveillance.
Thus, the US already has extensive military capabilities in Greenland without changing its state status. The American side can use agreed defense areas, deploy personnel and operate strategic infrastructure. The current debate is not so much about US military access as about Washington's possible political control or sovereignty over the island.
In 2019, during his first term as president, Trump also offered to buy Greenland. Denmark and the island's authorities then rejected the offer. After returning to the White House, Trump again made establishing control over the island one of the prominent directions of his Arctic policy.
