It is hard to understand why Donald Trump is so anxious to acquire Greenland even if it takes military force. When he suggested this during his first administration, one of his Cabinet secretaries mused, “You just sit there and be, like, 'Well, this isn’t real.'” Now, somehow, it is.

	Bruce Altschuler

Venezuela shows us that, other than a desire for domination, there is no reasonable policy reason for Trump’s military actions. When he first ordered blowing up civilians in speedboats in international waters in the Caribbean, he claimed it was to prevent fentanyl from coming to the United States. After the obvious point that Venezuela produces no fentanyl was made, the justification became cocaine even though it was unlikely that any of these small boats, more than a thousand miles away from the US, contributed to the American drug problem.

Shortly before seizing Maduro, Trump pardoned the former president of Honduras who had just begun a 45-year sentence for his involvement in trafficking more than 400 tons of cocaine to the US. Switching justifications to regime change convinced few as Trump kept the rest of the Maduro regime in power while criticizing opposition leader Maria Machado. As for Trump’s latest justification, seizing “stolen” Venezuelan oil, even the major American oil companies, the supposed victims, seem singularly unenthusiastic.

When Germany occupied Denmark during WWII, the United States temporarily protected Greenland. At the end of the war, it was returned to Danish control but, since then, Denmark has made changes to give Greenlanders greater autonomy including granting the island home rule in 1979.

A major reason many Greenlanders want more control over foreign policy is a 2004 agreement that gave the US permission to upgrade its missile defense system at Thule Air Base which has since been renamed Pituffik Space Base. Inuit, who make up most of Greenland’s population and who had been forcibly removed from the area, sued for the right of return at the European Court of Justice.

Tensions had increased because the US stored nuclear weapons on the island in violation of a Danish ban and without the knowledge of Greenland, a problem worsened by the 1968 crash near Thule of a military airplane carrying four hydrogen bombs. A 2008 referendum calling for increased autonomy for the island passed with a three-quarters majority. It is hardly surprising that despite Trump’s claim that “Greenlanders “want to be with us,” a 2025 Verian poll showed 85% opposed and only 6% in favor.

The 1951 treaty between the US and Denmark allows the building of multiple military bases across Greenland. During the Cold War about a dozen bases, housing some 11,000 troops were built, including the 1959 Project Iceworm, a top-secret city under the ice that would house nuclear missiles. The instability of the ice sheet caused this project to be abandoned in 1966. All of the bases except Pituffik have been closed while the number of American personnel stationed there has been reduced from 6000 to 150.

If there was a real national security threat, the existing treaty would allow the US to increase the number of bases and personnel to whatever it deems necessary, provided it consults with Denmark and Greenland. According to Trump, there is a danger of Russia or China taking over Greenland if the US does not. A week ago he asserted that “Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships,” a claim denied by Danish and Greenland officials who say that since a 2018 attempt by China to build several airports was rejected, “there really has been nothing from the Chinese.” Nor does tracking data show any sign of Chinese or Russian ships or submarines near Greenland.

Instead of Trump’s megalomania and desire for domination, Greenland’s future should be up to its own people. The same poll that showed most Greenlanders opposed a US takeover found that if there was a referendum on independence from Denmark, 56% indicated they would vote in favor versus 28% in opposition. Instead of Trump’s imperialist domination, they should be given the opportunity for self-determination.


Dr. Bruce Altschuler is emeritus professor of political science.