The Flag of Greenland, recognized nationally as “Erfalasorput”, flies above properties on March 28, 2025 in Nuuk, Greenland.
Leon Neal | Getty Pictures
The Trump administration is getting ready for a high-stakes assembly with Danish officers subsequent week, searching for to debate how the U.S. can purchase the world’s largest island.
The White Home has spoken continuously about taking management of Greenland within the wake of a weekend army operation to depose Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, elevating alarm in Europe about Washington’s territorial ambitions.
President Donald Trump, who has lengthy coveted making Greenland part of the US, has stated the mineral-rich and sparsely populated island is integral to nationwide safety and insisted he is “very severe” about attempting to accumulate it.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has since urged Trump to “cease the threats,” whereas Greenland’s chief described the notion of U.S. management over the territory as a “fantasy.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated Wednesday that he intends to convene with senior authorities officers subsequent week to debate the state of affairs. It comes after a request from Denmark’s Overseas Minister Lokke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart, Vivian Motzfeldt.
CNBC takes a take a look at 4 key points forward of the assembly.
Navy motion or island buy
Talking on Wednesday, Rubio was requested by a reporter if he would withdraw the choice of utilizing the U.S. army to take over Greenland.
“I am not right here to speak about Denmark or army intervention,” Rubio stated, earlier than reiterating his plans to satisfy with Danish officers subsequent week. “We’ll have conversations with them then, however I am not including issues additional … to that at the moment.”
His feedback got here because the White Home confirmed that Trump and his nationwide safety crew had been “actively” discussing a possible supply to purchase Greenland — and that whereas diplomacy has at all times been the primary possibility, all choices, together with army drive, stay on the desk.
Trump beforehand sought to purchase Greenland in 2019 throughout his first time period as U.S. president, solely to be informed the island was not on the market.
The prospect of U.S. army motion in Greenland, in the meantime, triggered a robust response from Denmark’s Frederiksen.
“I imagine that the U.S. president must be taken severely when he says that he needs Greenland,” Frederiksen informed Danish broadcaster TV2 on Monday, in accordance with a CNBC translation.
“However I additionally need to make it clear, that if the US chooses to assault one other NATO nation militarily, then every thing stops. That’s, together with our NATO and thus the safety that has been supplied because the finish of the Second World Conflict,” she added.
Prime Republican and Democrat lawmakers have additionally pushed again on the thought of utilizing army drive to take over Greenland.
Europe’s response
European leaders, who had beforehand been reluctant to train megaphone diplomacy in protection of Greenland, modified tack earlier within the week.
“The Kingdom of Denmark – together with Greenland – is a part of NATO,” a joint letter revealed by a number of European leaders stated on Tuesday.
“Greenland belongs to its individuals. It’s for Denmark and Greenland, and them solely, to resolve on issues regarding Denmark and Greenland,” they added.
Greenland’s Head of Authorities Jens-Frederik Nielsen addresses a press convention in Nuuk, Greenland, on January 5, 2026. Any US assault on a NATO ally could be the top of “every thing”, Denmark’s prime minister warned on January 5, 2026, after US President Donald Trump repeated his need to annex Greenland.
Oscar Scott Carl | Afp | Getty Pictures
Rasmus Sinding Søndergaard, senior researcher with the overseas coverage and diplomacy division on the Danish Institute for Worldwide Research, stated diplomatic engagement must be the first focus for European policymakers once they sit down with Rubio subsequent week.
Different avenues for European lawmakers to contemplate embody additional strong political statements, lobbying U.S. officers who don’t need to see any army motion in Greenland and, probably, threats of financial retaliation, Søndergaard stated.
He conceded, nonetheless, that there have been seemingly limitations for Europe in case of a worst-case state of affairs the place the U.S. seeks to take Greenland by drive, citing different safety issues for European nations, particularly Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“Greenland is a territory that’s not very simply defended militarily. There’s little or no infrastructure, and it’s clearly a really massive island, so this concept of getting some form of army protection isn’t actually what we’re taking a look at right here,” Søndergaard informed CNBC’s “Europe Early Version” on Thursday.
Independence
Opinion polls have beforehand proven that Greenlanders overwhelmingly oppose U.S. management, whereas a robust majority assist independence from Denmark.
Tony Sage, CEO of Vital Metals, which is growing one of many world’s largest uncommon earth property in southern Greenland, stated one facet of the state of affairs that appears to have been ignored is that the majority Greenlanders favor independence.
“I imagine — having loads of expertise in Greenland during the last two years, personally — however our associate, who’s been there 20 years, is aware of the individuals very effectively. They’re very staunch, they usually need independence,” Sage informed CNBC’s “The China Connection” on Thursday.
“So, I imagine they’ll go for independence once they announce their referendum, and that is the place Denmark and the U.S. have actually obtained to return to grips with the state of affairs,” he continued. “Who’s going to be the largest benefactor of that independence in the event that they, in actual fact, do go forward with the referendum.”
Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory of round 57,000 individuals, was granted better autonomy over its affairs in 2009 by a self-government act, though Denmark stays chargeable for the island’s overseas and protection insurance policies.
The act additionally gave the island the proper to carry an independence referendum. Most Greenlandic political events assist independence, though they’re cut up over the tempo with which to succeed in it.
Arctic safety
In setting his sights on the huge and sparsely populated Arctic island as soon as once more, Trump instructed that Russia and China pose a safety problem to the U.S. in Greenland.
“It is so strategic,” Trump informed reporters onboard Air Drive One on Sunday. “Proper now, Greenland is roofed with Russian and Chinese language ships far and wide. We’d like Greenland from the standpoint of nationwide safety.”
Analysts, nonetheless, have questioned Trump’s assertion that Greenland have to be acquired on nationwide safety grounds, whereas European leaders have stated Arctic safety is an goal that have to be achieved collectively.
This photograph taken on Jan. 7, 2026 exhibits the surroundings of Aasiaat, Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.
Xinhua Information Company | Xinhua Information Company | Getty Pictures
Marion Messmer, director of the Worldwide Safety Programme at London’s Chatham Home assume tank, acknowledged that it’s true to say that each Russia and China have elevated their army actions within the Arctic in recent times — and, if Moscow launched missiles on the U.S., they might seemingly fly over Greenland.
“Nevertheless, what isn’t clear is why Washington wants full management over Greenland to defend itself,” Messmer stated in a written evaluation revealed Tuesday.
She cited the truth that the U.S. already has a presence at Pituffik House Base, in addition to a decades-old protection settlement with Denmark that enables Washington to proceed to make use of it.
