Why Trump wants Greenland

By — Danica Kirka, Associated Press Danica Kirka, Associated Press By — Stefanie Dazio, Associated Press Stefanie Dazio, Associated Press By — Lorne Cook, Associated Press Lorne Cook, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/why-trump-wants-greenland Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Why Trump wants Greenland World Jul 8, 2026 5:09 PM EDT Location, location, location: Greenland's position above the Arctic Circle makes the world's largest island a key part of security strategy. Increasing international tensions, global warming and the changing world economy have put Greenland at the heart of the debate over global trade and security, and President Donald Trump wants to make sure his country controls the mineral-rich island that guards the Arctic and North Atlantic approaches to North America. READ MORE: Trump again demands Greenland as NATO unveils military projects worth billions to prove its firepower Trump's repeated demands for the territory and threats to take it by force have rattled the NATO alliance and discomfited European allies who have long relied on the U.S. as a partner in their defense. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally that has rejected Trump's overtures. Greenland's own government opposes U.S. designs on the island, saying the people of Greenland will decide their own future. READ MORE: Denmark urges IOC to recognize territories of Greenland and Faroe Islands as independent Olympic teams The island, 80% of which lies above the Arctic Circle, is home to about 56,000 mostly Inuit people who until now have been largely ignored by the rest of the world. Here's why Trump covets Greenland, and why it is strategically important in the Arctic. Trump says America needs Greenland for security Trump has mulled territorial expansion via Greenland, Canada and Venezuela during his second term. But of the three, he comes back to Greenland most often, arguing that it is necessary for U.S. security to be in control of the Arctic island. "Greenland is very important to the United States, but it's not important to Denmark," Trump said Wednesday during a NATO summit. "We need it for protection of the world, not just the United States." WATCH: Trump holds news conference at NATO summit in Turkey Earlier in his term, he would not rule out taking the island by military force to secure its "right, title and ownership," though the president has since said he's taken military options off the table. Trump says the U.S. needs Greenland to deter threats from Russia and China, and has repeatedly made false claims of Chinese and Russian military forces lurking off the island's coastline. Greenland's location is key Greenland sits off the northeastern coast of Canada, with more than two-thirds of its territory lying