Trump’s aggressive pursuit of Greenland imperils America’s long-standing strategy in the high north

US vice-president's historic visit to Greenland was the highest-ranking US delegation ever to visit the Arctic territory.

Donald Trump has repeatedly stated his stated goal to “get” Greenland, which he has claimed the United States needs “for national security” and “international world security’s.

The overwhelming majority of Greenlanders have signalled no interest in a Donald Trump -style deal.

Denmark ’s foreign minister also pushed back against the claims that Denmark has n’t done a good job at keeping Greenland safe’ The Danish government was “open to criticism’, Lars Løkke Rasmussen said in a video posted to X on 28 March , because apparently this is how diplomacy must be conducted in the Trump era.

Trump is not the first US president to mull the prospect of acquiring Danish territory.

Greenland is thought to possess significant natural mineral resources, including deposits of rare earth minerals and uranium.

But the situation is more complex than the Trump administration’s rhetoric tends to suggest.

The irony in all this is that the US could have achieved its stated objectives in Greenland ramping up the US military presence, pushing back against Russia and China .