WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following the recent capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, President Donald Trump has intensified his push to acquire Greenland, raising concerns of potential military action and drawing criticism from European allies.
While American interest in Greenland has regained visibility under Trump, the notion of U.S. control over the self-governing Danish territory is not a new concept. Greenland, a vast island covering 836,000 square miles, occupies a strategic position between the U.S. and Europe, controlling the so-called GIUK gap, a critical maritime passage linking the Arctic to the Atlantic. The island also boasts significant natural resources, including oil, gas, and rare earth minerals.
U.S. interest in Greenland dates back to the 19th century. After purchasing Alaska from Russia in 1867, Secretary of State William H. Seward proposed acquiring Greenland and Iceland from Denmark. Though no formal offer was made, the idea persisted, resurfacing multiple times in history, including proposals to swap Greenland for U.S. territory in the Philippines.
In 1946, during the post-World War II period, President Harry Truman formally offered Denmark $100 million in gold for Greenland. Denmark rejected the bid but allowed the U.S. to operate military bases on the island, including what is now the Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base).
“Acquiring Greenland would give the United States valuable bases from which to launch an air counteroffensive over the Arctic area in the event of attack,” a U.S. State Department official noted at the time.
Under the Trump administration, the push for Greenland has resurfaced. Trump first expressed interest in 2019, framing it as a “large real estate deal,” but Greenlandic and Danish authorities firmly rejected the idea. After winning the 2024 election, Trump revived the proposal and hinted at military options during public addresses, including a speech to Congress where he stated, “I think we’re going to get it. One way or the other, we’re going to get it.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized on Tuesday that Trump considers acquiring Greenland a “national security priority” essential to deterring adversaries in the Arctic region. “The President and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. Military is always an option at the Commander in Chief’s disposal,” Leavitt said.
Greenland’s history as a strategic U.S. interest underscores the island’s geopolitical importance, reflecting centuries of American ambition to expand influence in the Arctic. Despite repeated overtures, Greenland remains firmly under Danish sovereignty for the time being.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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