Washington / Arctic: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that American control of Greenland is “vital” for national defense and his planned Golden Dome air and missile defense system. Trump said the island’s strategic position would make NATO “more formidable” if the United States controlled it. He added that “anything less than that is unacceptable.”
Trump made the comments ahead of high-level talks in Washington with Danish and Greenlandic officials on the future of Greenland’s security. He wrote on social media that the U.S. needs the Arctic territory for national security and to prevent Russia or China from gaining influence there.
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Meanwhile, Denmark and Greenland firmly rejected the U.S. demand to transfer control. Greenland’s prime minister and Danish leaders insist the island remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark and that its defense should stay under NATO cooperation. European Union and NATO allies also back Denmark’s sovereignty over the island.
Trump argued that NATO “should lead” the building of his multi-layered defense system from Greenland, saying that without U.S. control the alliance would be weaker. He warned that Russia or China might otherwise take advantage of the situation.
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The dispute has raised tensions between the United States and NATO allies, with foreign ministers meeting to ease concerns. Denmark is increasing its defense presence in the Arctic, while NATO works to bolster Greenland’s security amid rising geopolitical interest in the region.