Washington’s military and economic ambitions have resurfaced once again amid what appears to be a renewed appetite by U.S. President Donald Trump for expanding American influence after his offensive against Venezuela — a move seen as a modern re-packaging of imperialism.

Trump openly voiced his desire to acquire Greenland — a Danish territory — arguing that China and Russia would move to control the island if the United States did not act first.

Behind these justifications lie ambitions of gaining control over resources and expanding American geopolitical influence. However, what makes this episode different is that it pits the United States against countries that are theoretically allies.

Trump openly stated that he does not recognize international law — a precedent that threatens decades of agreements shaping the post-World War II international order.

This raises questions: Why has Greenland, located in the Arctic, become a destination for U.S. ambitions? And what are Europe’s and NATO’s reactions to these occupation-like intentions?

According to the British Daily Mail, Trump reportedly instructed U.S. Special Forces commanders to draft a plan to “seize” Greenland, though the idea faced resistance from senior military leaders.

Sources quoted by the newspaper said that hawkish figures close to Trump — particularly political adviser Stephen Miller — became emboldened after the successful “capture operation” against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, believing Washington must act swiftly to secure the island before Russia or China move in.

British diplomats reportedly believe Trump is also motivated by a desire to distract American voters from domestic economic concerns ahead of midterm elections, where he could potentially lose congressional control to Democrats.

However, such a bold move would place him at odds with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and could effectively lead to NATO’s collapse.

Greenland’s government announced Monday it would enhance efforts to ensure the island’s defense under NATO’s umbrella and once again rejected Trump’s ambitions to acquire the territory.
The island’s coalition government stated: “All NATO member states — including the United States — share an interest in Greenland’s defense.”

Britain Considers Deploying Troops

In response, the Telegraph reported that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is considering deploying British forces to Greenland as part of a European effort to address what it called “the U.S. president’s Arctic security concerns” and to deter threats of forcibly acquiring the strategically significant island.

Downing Street is said to be in talks with European allies regarding a possible NATO mission in Greenland to “reassure Trump,” amid reports that U.S. plans cite national security.

Military leaders are reportedly preparing operational scenarios, while British officials have held meetings with counterparts in Germany and France to discuss contingency planning.

Sources say Starmer takes the Russian-Chinese threat “very seriously” and agrees that action may be necessary.

Trump has argued that the U.S. must acquire Greenland to prevent future Russian or Chinese control. Although the U.S. already has a military presence under a 1951 agreement, he insists such agreements are insufficient. Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

Trump also suggested the U.S. could use financial incentives and military leverage to encourage Greenland to break from Denmark and possibly join the United States.

China urged Washington to refrain from using other nations as pretexts to serve U.S. interests, stressing that the Arctic is a shared global space and that Beijing’s activities aim to promote stability and sustainable development.

Greenland — rich in mineral resources — is the world’s largest non-continental island, home to around 56,000 people concentrated in non-ice-covered areas comprising about 20% of the territory. It has a local government but remains part of Denmark, retaining political and cultural ties spanning nearly a millennium.

“We Do Not Want to Be Americans”

Five major parties in Greenland’s parliament issued a joint statement announcing an urgent session to discuss Washington’s threats.

“We reiterate our demand that the United States cease its disdain toward our country,” the statement read. “We do not want to be Americans, nor do we want to be Danes — we want to be Greenlanders.”

Nordic diplomats dismissed Trump’s claims of Russian and Chinese naval presence near Greenland, citing NATO intelligence showing no such activity in recent years.

A Red Line and the Collapse of NATO

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that any U.S. military action would trigger “NATO’s collapse.” Greenland’s Prime Minister Frederik Nielsen responded sharply: “We are not chess pieces on Trump’s board — enough illusions about annexation.”

EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius stated that a U.S. takeover of Greenland would effectively spell the end of the Atlantic Alliance.

Analysts note the U.S. military could occupy the island quickly due to its small population — and the fact that Washington already maintains a military base there.

Trump’s Justifications

Trump offered justifications ranging from national security to mineral interests, repeatedly invoking alleged Russian and Chinese activities.

Greenland and Danish officials insist China has shown limited interest since Denmark — under U.S. pressure — blocked Chinese bids to help build airports on the island.

Clash With Europe

Political analyst Abdel-Monem Said described the current moment as unprecedented, arguing that Trump represents a distinct phenomenon in U.S. leadership and is pursuing what he calls “modern imperialism” — asserting dominance while avoiding protracted wars.

He argued that the dispute over Greenland places Washington not only at odds with Denmark but with Europe as a whole, reflecting heightened tensions in the international system.

According to the outlet Yalla News, Trump’s ambition toward Greenland has moved from rhetoric to “strategic execution.” While U.S. policy juggles crises in Venezuela and Gaza, the Arctic is emerging as a new battleground involving U.S. allies before adversaries.

The report says Trump views Greenland not as frozen wasteland but as a “technological treasury,” with intelligence reports suggesting control of the island could shape the future global economy.

Trump’s remarks mocking Denmark — saying it was only interested in “dog sleds” — provoked anger in Copenhagen.

Behind the scenes, reports suggest Washington is considering two parallel tracks:
• financial track: providing up to $6 billion directly to Greenland’s 57,000 residents to facilitate independence from Denmark and align with Washington;
• security track: expanding the U.S. base at Pituffik and imposing an Arctic exclusion zone barring Russian and Chinese vessels.

Trump’s Grand Gamble

Political analysts argue that Trump in 2026 is not seeking new real estate, but is instead aiming to secure American technological and military supremacy for the next century. With the anticipated meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Danish officials next week, the world is watching to see whether “deal diplomacy” will succeed in taming the Arctic— or whether a geopolitical crisis is on the horizon that could redefine global alliances entirely.

Europeans Helpless and Alone

In this context, the German public broadcaster Tagesschau wrote: “Thanks to their military base in Pituffik in northwestern Greenland, the Americans are already physically present on the island. It is unlikely that U.S. forces would invade the area tomorrow with large numbers of troops, but after the Venezuela experience and in light of renewed threats from the White House, the worst-case scenario can no longer be ruled out.”

The outlet added that “the United States holds overwhelming military superiority over Denmark, and Copenhagen would be unable to do anything about it.” It concluded that “the Greenland dispute once again shows that Europeans can no longer depend on the United States, which after World War II was the most important guarantor of their security. In this new global order, they find themselves largely helpless and alone.”

For its part, the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter commented: “A U.S. annexation of Greenland would change everything, even for Sweden. The United States would no longer be our ally.”

The paper continued: “The question we should be asking is not whether this could happen, but what we would do if Washington decided to annex the island. Would Article Five of the NATO treaty be triggered? Would we go to war against the strongest military power in the world? Should we impose sanctions on the United States and demand the withdrawal of its forces from the continent? What would the security consequences be? Every new question raises even more questions.”

SabaNews report