The hypothetical annexation of Greenland to the US under the administration of US President-elect Donald Trump would have disastrous consequences for NATO.
Trump’s annexation of Greenland, despite the objections of Denmark, a NATO member state, would spell the end of the North Atlantic Treaty, since no alliance in the alliance can survive if its leading power violates the territorial integrity of another member.
NATO in such a case would collapse like a house of cards within a few 24 hours. It is noted that in recent history, “the only country that violated Denmark’s sovereignty was Hitler’s Germany”, emphasizing that “America should not try to stand on the same level as it”.
It will be a pretext for China to invade Taiwan
At the same time, such a step by the Trump administration could be used by China as an excuse for a hypothetical “invasion of Taiwan.” During Trump’s first presidential term in 2019, American media reported that he was interested in the possibility of acquiring Greenland, which is a territory within Denmark and has broad autonomy rights.
Subsequently, the kingdom’s authorities refused to discuss the sale of Greenland, calling the idea absurd. In December 2024, Trump said that Washington should take control of Greenland. The United States believes that “ownership and control” of Greenland is absolutely necessary, he wrote on his Truth Social page. In response, the island’s Prime Minister, Mute Egede, stressed: “We are not for sale and we will never be for sale.”
Trump: We Need Greenland
Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to acquire and control Greenland. In a statement on Christmas, Trump expressed his desire for the Panama Canal, Canada and Greenland to join the United States. According to Trump, the United States needs the Greenland region for national security purposes. “The people of Greenland want us to be there and we will be there,” the new US president wrote on social media.
“Highway from the Arctic to North America”
Denmark should let the US “buy” Greenland if it cannot defend the self-governing country, noting that the region will become increasingly important in the coming years.
Greenland is seen as a “highway from the Arctic to North America” and the autonomous country, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, will become increasingly important as the climate warms in the coming years. “Trump is 100% right again, this time about Greenland.
If our great ally Denmark cannot commit to defending the island, the US should intervene, as the president-elect said,” he added. “Greenland is strategically very important for the Arctic, which will be the critical battlefield of the future, because as the climate warms. The Arctic will be a path that may even limit the use of the Panama Canal.”
Two in three Greenlanders favor independence
Greenlanders are due to vote in parliamentary elections in April, although there is currently no referendum on the agenda. A referendum on the island’s status became possible in 2008, as it was approved by a large majority.
Egede’s pro-independence democratic socialist Inuit Ataqatigiit party has 12 seats in Greenland’s 31-seat parliament, governing in coalition with Siumut, a social democratic party that also supports independence and has 10 seats. The poll shows that two in three Greenlanders support independence from Denmark, with protests ranging from economic inequalities to general dissatisfaction with the Danish government and monarchy and pro-independence sentiments.
Greenland is rich in energy resources
In Greenland, which has an area of 2,166,086 km2, there are deposits of gold, uranium and coal. There are also, according to recent research, oil and natural gas deposits. There are also large deposits of rare earths in its territory.
Both oil and natural gas production are not at an advanced level, while various objections are expressed in this regard, for environmental and cultural reasons. At the same time, there is a problem with the exploitation of uranium and rare earths (their deposits contain uranium), as the law in force in Greenland does not allow the mining of uranium, although there have been discussions about relevant amendments in recent years.
Greenland was the main producer of natural cryolite, which is used in aluminum metallurgy, but in the 1970s the reserves were exhausted. It also produced lead and zinc, but these were also depleted in the 1990s. Currently, the main economic activity of the inhabitants is fishing. Fish processing is also an important industrial activity. The main fishery products are shrimp, but the populations of these have been declining in recent years, while in the 1960s the cod processing industry also experienced a period of growth. Few inhabitants are engaged in limited farming on the southwestern coast, and a small number of cattle, sheep and poultry are raised.
