Trump refuses to rule out military force or NATO exit for Greenland acquisition

Thursday 15 January 2026 - 16:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Trump refuses to rule out military force or NATO exit for Greenland acquisition

President Donald Trump escalated his push to acquire Greenland on January 14, openly declining to dismiss military action or a potential withdrawal from NATO as means to secure the strategically vital Arctic territory under Danish control. The remarks came amid reports of NATO allies deploying troops to the island in a show of support. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump stressed the territory's critical role in national security, including for Denmark itself, while avoiding specifics on his next steps. He referenced recent U.S. military intervention in Venezuela that ousted President Nicolás Maduro on January 3 as a pointed example.

European NATO partners moved swiftly to bolster Greenland's defenses in response to Trump's intensifying rhetoric. France dispatched 15 soldiers, Germany sent a 13-member reconnaissance team, and Norway along with Sweden contributed to what officials described as a territorial reconnaissance operation. French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the deployment on social media, noting that initial forces were en route with more to follow. This buildup aligned with tense White House talks involving Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The meeting yielded no progress, with Rasmussen later admitting the U.S. stance remained unchanged and underscoring Trump's clear intent to claim the island. Denmark plans to establish a rotating allied military presence there.

The Trump administration has floated cash payments ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 per Greenlandic resident to spur secession from Denmark, potentially costing between $570 million and $5.7 billion for the island's roughly 57,000 people, though no formal offer has materialized. Public resistance runs deep: a January 2025 Verian poll for Berlingske and Sermitsiaq found 85% of Greenlanders opposed to joining the United States, with just 6% in favor. A fresh CNN survey on January 15 revealed 75% of Americans against any U.S. bid to seize control.

Trump justifies the pursuit by highlighting Greenland's vast rare earth deposits, vital for electric vehicles, AI infrastructure, and defense technologies. Tech investors like Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Sam Altman have backed firms probing these resources. Yet experts caution that mining faces steep hurdles. Diogo Rosa, a geological economist at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, pointed to the island's isolation as the core challenge. With 80% ice-covered terrain, scant road networks, no railways, and Arctic extraction costs five to ten times higher than elsewhere, only one mine operates currently. Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has repeatedly dismissed Trump's overtures, urging an end to pressure, hints, and annexation fantasies on social media.