Trump’s Unyielding Pursuit of Greenland and New Threats of Military Force

The possibility of an American annexation of Greenland has been reignited by Donald Trump, who has even gone as far as issuing new threats of military force. The U.S. President has warned multiple times in the past about such actions. In a recent interview with NBC News, broadcasted on Sunday (04.05.25), Trump emphasized that the U.S. has a significant need for Greenland due to national security interests. When asked if he would exclude the use of military force, Trump replied, “I don’t rule it out. I’m not saying I will do it, but I don’t rule anything out.” He added, “Greenland has a very small population, which we would take care of, love, and all that. But we need it for international security.” For months, the American president has publicly expressed his desire for Greenland to become part of the U.S., despite it being an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. During his first term, Trump caused outrage in Europe when he suggested Washington might ‘buy’ the world’s largest island. Geographically, Greenland is part of the North American continent extending into the Arctic and is considered crucial for global climate and Arctic military control. It is also believed to have rich underground resources, particularly rare earths and hydrocarbons, with shipping routes gaining increasing importance. Both the governments of Greenland and Denmark have repeatedly rejected Trump’s ambitions outright. Trump has also repeatedly expressed his wish to see Canada become the ‘51st state’ of the U.S., calling former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a ‘governor.’ His remarks are believed to have played a decisive role in the recent Canadian election results, where the Liberals under Mark Carn won despite trailing by up to 25 percentage points earlier this year. However, in the NBC interview, the Republican clarified that he does not consider the military option for annexing Canada. Additionally, Trump confirmed to reporters aboard Air Force One that he proposed to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to expand elements of the U.S. armed forces in Mexico to combat drug cartels. While Sheinbaum rejected the idea, Trump insisted it was because she fears the cartels too much to think clearly. Meanwhile, the U.S. National Security Council representative stated that Trump expects Mexico to do more against the cartels, with the U.S. military ready to assist.