Donald Trump Serious About Acquiring Greenland

US President-elect Donald Trump appears serious about his bid to seize Greenland, both to expand America’s influence in the Western Hemisphere and as a way to cement his legacy, according to Reuters sources.

President-elect Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would not rule out using military or economic action to seize Denmark’s overseas territory after taking office on Jan. 20, 2025, surprising European allies concerned about maintaining the sanctity of borders at a time of heightened global volatility.

While US President Donald Trump briefly floated the possibility of acquiring Greenland during his first term, his recent comments underscore that his desire is a deep-rooted ambition — not a passing fantasy.

The US president is unlikely to use military force to seize Greenland, but is serious about using other means — such as diplomatic or economic pressure on Denmark — to seize the world’s largest island, a person familiar with Trump’s internal discussions told Reuters.

“The real legacy is that you expanded the United States, and literally in 70 years we haven’t added any new territory, he talks about it a lot,” he told Reuters.

One Donald Trump aide recounted seeing a list of foreign policy priorities drawn up by senior Trump administration officials after he won the 2024 presidential election, and one immediately stood out to him: buying Greenland.