US shifting Greenland military oversight in ownership push

The Hill

2 days ago

The Pentagon plans to move its oversight of Greenland from U.S. European Command to U.S. Northern Command, a switch that would bring the Denmark-aligned island closer to alignment with the United States.
The change, first reported by Politico, comes as President Trump has repeatedly expressed an interest in taking control of the autonomous territory, where the U.S. military houses a base. Trump on the campaign trail and after taking office has said the U.S. taking control Greenland is a national security issue.
Shifting the responsibility for U.S. security interests in Greenland to Northcom, the military command that oversees America's homeland defense, would largely be symbolic but underscores Trump's focus on the territory.
The move could come as soon as this week, a Defense Department official and two people familiar with the planning told Politico.
The Pentagon did not return a request for comment from The Hill.
Reports first emerged last month that the Trump administration was mulling the move as Greenland is part of the North American continent, even as it is associated with Europe politically and culturally given it is a semiautonomous territory of Denmark.
Trump in his first term floated the notion of buying Greenland, but in his second term has doubled down on the idea. He has declined to rule out using military force in taking the island.
'I don't rule it out. I don't say I'm going to do it, but I don't rule out anything,' Trump said in a May 4 interview with NBC's 'Meet the Press.'
'We need Greenland very badly,' he added. 'Greenland is a very small amount of people, which we'll take care of and we'll cherish them and all of that. But we need that for international security.'
Trump's threats have frustrated and alarmed officials in Greenland and Denmark, who have repeatedly said the territory is not for sale.
The switch of Greenland to Northcom, while leaving Denmark and the semi-autonomous Faroe Islands under Eucom, is likely to further worry Copenhagen and European allies. One person familiar with the move told Politico the Danish government has not been formally briefed on the plan.
Relations with Denmark have already been strained following a Wall Street Journal report early last month that the United States had ordered its intelligence agencies to step up its spying efforts on Greenland. The article prompted Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen to 'call in' the U.S. acting ambassador to Denmark for talks, saying the report is 'somewhat disturbing' and 'worries me greatly because we do not spy on friends.'
Northcom is mainly responsible for U.S. homeland security such as missions at the southern border, air and missile defense, and convening with Canada and Mexico on joint security issues.
Proponents of moving Greenland under Northcom have argued the switch makes sense given the U.S. has long had a military presence on the island, Pituffik Space Base, and the island is far closer to North America than to Europe and the U.S. command center there.
Greenland is also seen as a vital outpost in countering Russia and China in the Arctic as well as missile defense.
Despite the push to acquire Greenland, the Trump administration's recent attempts to make inroads with its officials and residents have fallen flat. Vice President Vance in March visited Pituffik, where he urged the territory to 'cut a deal' with the U.S. government.
Vance only briefly visited the base after plans for a larger trip were scrapped due to protests on the island and uproar from Greenland and Danish officials who said the vice president hadn't been formally invited and U.S. officials hadn't consulted them on his itinerary.