Is Trump's Greenland plan part of a scramble for the Arctic?

Al Jazeera

31-03-2025

United States President Donald Trump has iterated his ambitions to acquire Greenland ahead of a visit to the semi-autonomous Danish territory by his vice president, JD Vance.
'We need Greenland for international safety and security. We need it. We have to have it,' Trump said in an interview on Wednesday.
He also told reporters at the White House: 'We need Greenland. And the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark,' adding that the US will go 'as far as we have to go.'
His comments prompted anger in Greenland where there have long been calls for full independence from Denmark. Now, 85 percent of the Arctic territory's population has also expressed opposition to coming under Washington's rule.
Trump's ambitions have been noted elsewhere as well.
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to Trump's comments, saying his desire for Greenland is unsurprising and rooted in history.
Putin explained that the US has long coveted the mineral-rich Arctic region, amid a global scramble for the resources.
Here is more about the Arctic scramble, and why Greenland is significant:
During an address at the International Arctic Forum in the Russian city of Murmansk, the largest city within the Arctic circle, Putin said he believes Trump is serious about taking Greenland and the US will continue with efforts to acquire it.
'It can look surprising only at first glance and it would be wrong to believe that this is some sort of extravagant talk by the current US administration,' said Putin, adding that it is obvious the US will continue to 'systematically advance its geostrategic, military-political and economic interests in the Arctic'.
Putin also expressed concerns about Russia's neighbours, Finland and Sweden, joining NATO, the transatlantic military alliance between North America and Europe. Finland joined NATO in 2023 and Sweden joined in 2024.
'Russia has never threatened anyone in the Arctic, but we will closely follow the developments and mount an appropriate response by increasing our military capability and modernising military infrastructure,' Putin said.
He added that Russia is 'open' to cooperating with foreign partners in the Arctic.
'The stronger our positions will be, the more significant the results will be and the broader opportunities we will have to launch international projects in the Arctic involving the countries that are friendly to us, and, possibly, Western countries if they show interest in joint work.'
US Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, are set to touch down in Greenland on Friday.
They will be accompanied by White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright to the US's Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland 'to receive a briefing on Arctic security issues and meet with US service members', according to a statement released by Vance's office.
Greenland's acting head of government, Mute Egede wrote in an online post on Monday that Greenland had not in fact extended any invitation for an official or private visit.
'The present government is a caretaker government awaiting the formation of a new government coalition and we have kindly requested all countries to respect this process,' the post read.
Following this, the Vances changed the itinerary of their trip. While Usha Vance was initially supposed to visit the Avannaata Qimussersu dogsled race in Sisimiut, the couple will now visit the US base only.
This change of plan was welcomed by Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen who told Danish public radio DR: 'I actually think it's very positive that the Americans are cancelling their visit to Greenlandic society. Instead, they will visit their own base, Pituffik, and we have nothing against that.'
However, Trump's comments in advance of his vice president's trip have been met with apprehension in both Denmark and Greenland.
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Danish broadcasters on Tuesday: 'I have to say that it is unacceptable pressure being placed on Greenland and Denmark in this situation. And it is pressure that we will resist.
'President Trump is serious. He wants Greenland. Therefore, [this visit] cannot be seen independently of anything else.'
Since Trump's inauguration on January 20, he has repeatedly stated that he wants to acquire Greenland, saying that it is critical for US national security.
Greenland is a semi-autonomous Danish territory situated between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean. The island is a former Danish colony.
Geographically, it is part of North America; its capital Nuuk is closer to New York (some 2,900km or 1,800 miles) than to the Danish capital, Copenhagen, which is located 3,500km (2,174 miles) to the east.
Its location, offering the shortest route from North America to Europe, is seen as strategic for the US. It would give Washington leverage for its military and its ballistic missile early-warning system.
The US is also interested in placing radars in the waters that connect Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom. These waters are a gateway for Russian and Chinese ships, which the US wants to track.
Greenland is also rich in natural resources, including rare earth minerals which are used for the manufacture of technology. A 2023 survey showed that 25 of 34 minerals deemed 'critical raw materials' by the European Commission could be found in Greenland.
Most of Greenland's population of 56,000 residents comprise Indigenous Inuit people who oppose the mining of oil and gas, however.
Trump is not the first US leader to covet the island; the US has long expressed interest in Greenland.
In 1867, US Secretary of State William H Seward tried to negotiate with Russia to buy Greenland after the US bought Alaska from Russia. However, the attempt was not successful. When Greenland was still a Danish colony, in 1946, US President Harry S Truman proposed buying the island, an offer Denmark refused.
As the planet warms due to climate change, the vast untapped resources of the Arctic are becoming more accessible. Countries like the US, Canada, China and Russia are now eyeing these resources.
In December 2024, Canada released a policy document detailing plans to ramp up its military and diplomatic presence in the Arctic. Russia is also constructing military installations and power plants in the region.
Meanwhile, Russia and China have been working together to develop Arctic shipping routes as Moscow seeks to deliver more oil and gas to China amid Western sanctions while Beijing seeks an alternative shipping route to reduce its dependence on the Strait of Malacca.
The Northern Sea Route (NSR), a maritime route in the Arctic Ocean, is becoming easier to navigate due to melting ice. The NSR can cut shipping trips significantly short. Russia is hoping to ramp up commerce through the NSR to trade more with Asia than Europe due to Western sanctions. Last year, the number of oil shipments from Russia to China via the NSR rose by a quarter.
China is also probing the region, and has sent 10 scientific expeditions to the Arctic and built research vessels to survey the icy waters north of Russia.