From ‘absurd’ offer to military threats: How Donald Trump’s bid for Greenland unfolded

Public awareness of President Donald Trump’s ambition to acquire Greenland, a semiautonomous region of NATO ally Denmark, first emerged in 2019.

The following timeline shows how those ambitions sparked a diplomatic rift between Washington and its European allies.

During his initial term, Trump expressed interest in purchasing Greenland for the U.S., though he noted it was "not No. 1 on the burner." Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen rejected the suggestion as "an absurd discussion." Trump later called off a trip to Denmark, citing her "nasty" dismissal of the proposal.

Ahead of his second term, then President-elect Trump restated his focus, declaring "the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity." However, Greenland’s prime minister, Múte Bourup Egede, responded that "we are not for sale and will never be for sale."

Donald Trump Jr. visits Greenland after the president-elect declines to rule out deploying military force to take control of the territory.

Following parliamentary elections in Greenland, the victorious Demokraatit party, led by Jens-Frederik Nielsen, moved swiftly to secure power. Shortly after the vote concluded, all five political parties in the island's legislature jointly rejected Donald Trump's rhetoric about the U.S. taking control of the region. On March 27, 2025, four of those five parties finalized a formal agreement to form a broad coalition government, appointing Nielsen as prime minister.

These domestic political developments coincide with major international maneuvering involving Washington, Copenhagen, and Brussels. Trump struck a deal to build up the U.S. military presence in Greenland while leaving the island in Denmark’s hands, an announcement Danish political leaders met with cautious optimism. Meanwhile, the European Union sought to reassure a Trump-rattled Greenland by promising a brand-new partnership alongside substantial new investment.

Diplomatic friction increased further on March 28, 2025, when Vice President JD Vance traveled to the U.S. Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland and publicly accused Denmark of underinvesting in the territory's defense and security.

The following day, on March 29, 2025, Denmark’s foreign minister scolded Washington over the sharp tone of its criticism. Unfazed, Trump declared that he never takes "military force off the table."

Denmark's Foreign Ministry summoned the top U.S. diplomat in Copenhagen after a Danish broadcaster reported that at least three figures connected to Trump conducted covert influence operations in Greenland.

Trump announced the appointment of Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as the U.S. special envoy to Greenland. Landry called the position an honor, stating that he aims "to make Greenland a part of the U.S."

Meanwhile, leaders from Denmark and Greenland maintain the U.S. will not acquire Greenland. Additionally, the Danish foreign minister announced plans to summon the U.S. ambassador.

Renewed chatter regarding a U.S. acquisition of Greenland erupted on Jan. 4, 2026, coming shortly after American forces ousted Nicolás Maduro as president of Venezuela. Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen responded on Jan. 5, asserting that an American military seizure of Greenland would mark the demise of NATO. Leading European figures joined Frederiksen on Jan. 6 to defend Greenlandic sovereignty, though the White House emphasized that "utilizing the U.S. military is always an option" for Trump.

In a Jan. 8 interview, Trump argued that he needs to possess all of Greenland rather than merely exercising a long-standing treaty that grants broad U.S. latitude for military installations. Greenlandic Prime Minister Nielsen firmly rejected the proposal on Jan. 13, saying Greenland would choose Denmark "if we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now."

High-level diplomacy unfolded on Jan. 14 as the Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers met in Washington with Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. While agreeing to create a working group, Copenhagen and the White House presented sharply divergent accounts of its objective.

Denmark subsequently announced plans to strengthen its Arctic military presence, with several European allies dispatching small numbers of troops to Greenland for reconnaissance. Danish media later reported that Copenhagen actively prepared for armed conflict, deploying forces with explosives and blood supplies.

Economic pressure followed, as Trump warned on Jan. 16 that he might penalize non-supportive nations with trade tariffs. He announced on Jan. 17 a 10% import tax effective in February on goods from eight European countries opposing U.S. control. Text exchanges with the Norwegian prime minister made public on Jan. 19 showed Trump linking his position to failing to win the Nobel Peace Prize, noting he no longer felt "an obligation to think purely of Peace."

Tensions shifted on Jan. 21. Hours after asserting he wanted Greenland "including right, title and ownership," Trump withdrew the planned tariffs against European allies, saying he had agreed with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on a "framework of a future deal" on Arctic security. Formal technical talks between the U.S., Denmark, and Greenland opened on Jan. 28.

Greenlandic Prime Minister Nielsen has said "no thank you" to Trump’s proposal to dispatch a hospital ship to the territory. Trump claimed that numerous people there are ill and lacking care. The statement follows the evacuation of a U.S. submarine crew member off Greenland by Denmark’s military for urgent medical treatment.

Diplomatic tensions escalated on July 7, 2026, preceding a NATO summit, as Trump asserted Greenland "should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark." Frederiksen maintained that Greenland is "not for sale," emphasizing that Denmark stands "ready to defend every inch of NATO including our own territory" in the event of an attack.

Trump has announced an agreement to expand American military forces in Greenland. Danish officials responded with cautious optimism, as Frederiksen stressed that the upcoming pact upholds Denmark's sovereignty and the Greenlandic people's right to self-determination.