US President Trump eyes Greenland days after President Maduro's detention, says '...Greenland in 20 days'

Less than 72 hours after American forces took away Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, US President Donald Trump has hinted at another dramatic geopolitical move — this time involving Greenland. Speaking to journalists, Trump openly suggested that the United States could begin thinking about Greenland within days.

On Monday, while responding to questions on national security, Trump himself raised the Greenland issue. “We need Greenland for a national security situation,” he said. The US President went on saying, “We'll worry about Greenland in about two months... let's talk about Greenland in 20 days.”

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Trump’s remarks triggered strong reactions across international diplomatic circles. However, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen responded to it through a Facebook post, he wrote, “ We are open to dialogue. We are open to talks. But this must take place through the proper channels and with respect for international law. The proper channels are not random, disrespectful posts on social media.”

This is not the first time Trump has spoken about Greenland. He has repeatedly mentioned the idea in interviews and has expressed interest in the territory since 2019. At that time, he had even proposed buying the island, which has a population of about 57,000. Both Greenland and Denmark had firmly rejected the proposal.

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Why is Trump eyeing Greenland?

Greenland is not a sovereign state but an autonomous territory of Denmark, which is a NATO member. As a result, Greenland is also considered part of NATO. According to analysts, Trump’s interest in Greenland is driven by two key factors.

Defence concerns

Greenland’s northwest is home to the Pituffik Space Base, a strategically significant location for monitoring activity in the Arctic region. In addition, Russian naval and nuclear submarines access the North Atlantic Ocean through the Greenland-Iceland-Britain waterway, internationally known as the GIUK Gap. Control over this corridor would make it easier to monitor Russian naval movements.

Mineral resources

Greenland also possesses vast reserves of minerals, oil, and natural gas. Of the 34 “critical raw materials” identified by the European Commission, 25 are believed to be present in Greenland’s soil. These include key resources such as graphite and lithium.

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What does the law say?

From a legal standpoint, Greenland has been under Danish administration since 1953. Any change in its status would require constitutional amendments. However, Greenland was granted expanded autonomous rights in 2009, including the legal provision to pursue independence from Denmark if it chooses to do so.