Trump’s Greenland Gambit: A 21st-Century Empire in Flux

Estimated reading time: 5 min

Key takeaways

  • Strategic prize: Greenland’s location, a US base on the island, and its untapped offshore energy and minerals shape bold, imperial-tinged ambitions.
  • From rhetoric to action: The Venezuela raid and the plan to potentially control sanctioned oil signal a shift toward leveraging national resources as leverage in international politics.
  • Transatlantic pushback: European leaders insist Greenland belongs to its people and warn that force could fracture NATO unity.
  • Complex path to ownership: Any purchase or major basing expansion would require Congress, EU consent, and intricate treaty work, with budget concerns for ordinary Americans.
  • Diplomacy over brinkmanship: Analysts advocate measured diplomacy and alliance maintenance to avoid a destabilizing confrontation.

Table of contents

A Strategic Jewel

Trump argues Greenland is a mid-Atlantic hinge with historical significance from World War II and a current US base that supports early-warning missile detection. Greenland’s semi-autonomy within a NATO framework means a future buildup could be justified under treaty provisions. As ice recedes, new Arctic shipping lanes appear and offshore oil, gas, and rare-earth minerals become easier to access, heightening strategic calculations. If rare earths drive value, Danish and Greenland officials have signaled openness to partnerships, while reiterating Greenland is not for sale. The United States maintains a base that flies both Danish and American flags, illustrating a hybrid sovereignty dynamic. The article notes Denmark’s historical casualty context via icasualties.org, underscoring the region’s long-running security relevance.

The underlying argument rests on controlling Greenland to influence Atlantic sea lanes and regional security architecture. NATO basing rights, existing commitments, and the Arctic’s evolving geography all feed into a calculus where a larger American footprint could be argued as prudent—yet provocative.

An Imperialist President

The piece portrays Trump shifting from rhetorical imperialism to practical pursuit, following a Venezuela raid that claimed control of up to 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil, with proceeds framed as benefiting Americans and Venezuelans. The narrative invokes 19th-century expansionism—ambition, legacy-building, and the tendency to wield economic leverage to cement power. Domestic grandeur plans—an oversized White House ballroom and a Kennedy Center inscription—appear to be part of a strategy to embed a lasting imprint on history. The Wall Street Journal reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers Trump wanted to buy Greenland, signaling a broader appetite for audacious moves.

These developments raise concerns about turning diplomacy into coercive economics in the Western Hemisphere, and about how far a president might push allies and rivals in pursuit of notoriety and strategic leverage.

Europe’s Alarm

France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom joined Denmark in declaring that “Greenland belongs to its people.” They warned that seizing Greenland by force would jeopardize NATO’s mutual defense guarantee, risking a fracture in Western security. Canada’s Mark Carney announced a high-level delegation to Nuuk, reflecting regional concern about Washington’s trajectory. The episode tests Europe’s defense posture and its reliance on American security guarantees in uncertain times.

The Road Ahead

Geopolitics now hinges on diplomacy versus coercion. Analysts note that a Greenland purchase would require congressional approval, EU consent, and complex treaty negotiations, with a price tag potentially rivaling domestic budget needs. Many advocate strengthening alliances, pursuing dialogue with Copenhagen and Nuuk, and prioritizing economic cooperation over unilateral coercion. Others warn that escalation could realign NATO and deepen transatlantic rifts at a pivotal Arctic moment.

In sum, Greenland’s fate redefines sovereignty, resource strategy, and the future of the Atlantic alliance.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/06/politics/trump-greenland-takeover-empire-venezuela-analysis