President Donald Trump has again said he wants the United States to “take over” Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. In an NPR interview, Arctic security specialist Rebecca Pincus said Greenland’s location and its role in U.S. missile-warning systems help explain Washington’s interest, even as questions remain about what, if anything, the administration is formally seeking.
President Donald Trump has again said he wants the United States to “take over” Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
In an NPR interview aired January 12, Rebecca Pincus, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute who studies Arctic security, said Greenland’s main appeal lies in its strategic location for early warning against intercontinental missiles moving across the Arctic from Europe and Eurasia. She said the U.S. has long maintained radar and other sensors at its base in northwestern Greenland for what she described as an early-warning and homeland-defense mission.
Pincus also said the United States has reduced its military footprint on the island over recent decades. She added that Washington already faces “no obstacle” to increasing its military presence in Greenland, but she has not seen specific U.S. requests — leaving unclear what additional access or authorities the administration is pursuing.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet Danish officials this week amid the renewed attention to Greenland.
Asked how Russia and China might respond to a U.S. takeover, Pincus said it would not necessarily be viewed as a direct threat because, in her assessment, neither country has major interests there. She said Russia has not shown significant interest in Greenland beyond fishing, and that while China is interested in Greenland’s resources, it is not among Beijing’s top priorities.
Pincus said Greenland has significant mineral potential — including copper, nickel, zinc and rare earth elements — but she cautioned that large-scale mining would face major obstacles. She cited the harsh operating environment, limited infrastructure and environmental protections, and estimated it could take 10 to 20 years to open a mine.
She also emphasized the costs of any expanded U.S. role. Pincus said Denmark currently provides the Greenlandic government with a little more than half a billion dollars a year in direct support, and argued that sustaining living standards — and paying for any larger U.S. military presence — would require substantial and long-term U.S. spending.
