How Greenland went from backburner issue to geopolitical flashpoint in just 2 weeks

The future of Greenland has shot up the geopolitical agenda in just two weeks, with warnings of potential military action and talk of the alliance between the U.S. and Europe being in jeopardy.

This is how trans-Atlantic tensions over the issue reached a crisis point so quickly.

U.S. President Donald Trump has long argued the U.S. needs control of Greenland, saying in 2019 that his administration was interested in purchasing the territory because it was essential for U.S. national security — but conceded the idea was "not number one on the burner."

Denmark, which is responsible for the island's defense, dismissed the notion as "absurd" at the time. Trump canceled a planned visit to Copenhagen in response.

Trump reiterated his interest in Greenland in late 2024 as he prepared to return to the White House, saying on his TruthSocial platform that the U.S. feels "that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity."

Greenland's then Prime Minister, Mute Egede, responded: "We are not for sale and will never be for sale."

Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., visited Greenland in early 2025, fueling speculation that Trump would seek to acquire it in his second term. Trump later said he wouldn't rule out using military force or economic coercion, prompting widespread criticism.

The U.S. stunned the world with its audacious military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on Jan. 3. The next day, Trump was interviewed by The Atlantic, and told the magazine: "We do need Greenland, absolutely." He added it was "surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships."

"We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security and Denmark is not going to be able to do it, I can tell you," he said on Air Force One later that day.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen urged Trump "to stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and another people who have said very clearly that they are not for sale."

In a show of solidarity, European leaders issued a joint statement on Jan. 6, pushing back against Trump, saying Arctic security had to be achieved collectively.

"It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland," the statement said. It was signed by the leaders of Denmark, France, Germany, Britain, Italy, Spain and Poland, and later endorsed by other key regional players.

White House talks between U.S. officials and the foreign ministers of Greenland and Denmark were scheduled for Jan. 14. Earlier that day, Trump doubled down in a Truth Social post.

"The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security. It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building. NATO should be leading the way for us to get it," he wrote.

"NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES. Anything less than that is unacceptable," he added. In a subsequent post, Trump said only the U.S. could counter a threat from Russia and China to the island.

The White House talks later ended without a solution. Shortly thereafter, several NATO members deployed small numbers of troops to Greenland for a joint military exercise.

Germany's Defense Ministry said it was sending a team of 13 personnel to Nuuk, Greenland's capital, to help beef up the region's security presence at Denmark's invitation. Troops from France, Sweden and Norway also took part.

On Saturday, Trump turned to one of his favorite tools for leverage. He threatened to impose a rising wave of tariffs on eight European countries if they oppose his plans.

Trump said he would impose 10% tariffs on goods from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the U.K., from Feb. 1, which would increase to 25% from June 1.

French President Emmanuel Macron called the threats "fundamentally unacceptable," while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the move "completely wrong."

On Monday, it was reported that European leaders were mulling retaliatory tariffs and broader punitive economic counter-measures against the U.S. One potential move was the "Anti-Coercion Instrument," or ACI, which would see the EU restrict U.S. suppliers' access to the EU market, excluding them from participation in public tenders.

For Greenland, a vast island of just 57,000 people, the threat of a U.S. takeover has put it at the center of a geopolitical storm. Thousands of Greenlanders marched through Nuuk in protest on Saturday, while an estimated 20,000 demonstrated in Copenhagen.

In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, Greenland's Business Minister Naaja Nathanielsen said the island has been left feeling "bewildered" and "devastated" by the situation.

"To all of a sudden find ourselves in the midst of a storm that's about acquiring us like a product or a property, it's really difficult for us — not to mention the threats of military action and an actual occupation of our country," Nathanielsen told CNBC.

Later on Tuesday, Greenland Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen told reporters that he could not rule out a U.S. invasion. He said it was "not likely there will be a military conflict, but it can't be ruled out."

As this unfolded, many global leaders were at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Leader after leader warned of the consequences of Trump's rhetoric and actions to the trans-Atlantic alliance.

France's Macron, without mentioning Trump by name, on Tuesday warned of a shift to "a world without rules" and said Europe would not be intimidated by "bullies." He said the fact Europe was considering using the ACI was "crazy."

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told the gathering the "old order is not coming back" and warned "nostalgia is not a strategy." He said the new order was "a system of intensifying great power rivalry where the most powerful pursue their interests using economic integration as coercion."

Trump, who maintains there is "no going back" on Greenland, is scheduled to speak at Davos later on Wednesday.