Greenland's history as a Danish territory and why Trump wants it

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – US President Donald Trump has renewed his ambition to take control of Greenland for national security reasons and questioned whether Denmark has any legal right to the Arctic island.

The remarks have revived scrutiny of how Greenland became part of Denmark, its current self-rule arrangements, its path to independence, and Washington’s military footprint on the vast Arctic territory.

How did Denmark get Greenland?

Greenland was inhabited intermittently by Inuit peoples from Asia and North America from around 2,500 BC. Around 985 AD, Vikings led by Erik the Red settled in southern Greenland, farming and building churches. Around the same period, ancestors of today’s Inuit arrived as hunters and gatherers and eventually became the dominant culture, pushing out the Viking settlers around 1400.

Denmark colonised Greenland in the 18th century when missionary Hans Egede arrived in 1721, marking the start of the colonial era. A statue of Egede still stands in the capital Nuuk’s colonial harbour and is seen by many Greenlanders as a symbol of lost Inuit traditions.

In 1916, the United States bought the Danish West Indies, now the U.S. Virgin Islands, for $25 million in gold. As part of that treaty, Washington declared it would not object to Denmark extending its political and economic interests over all of Greenland, formally recognising Danish sovereignty.

What is Greenland’s status now?

Greenland shifted from a colony to a formal territory in 1953 under Denmark’s constitution, without consultation of Greenlanders. Any sale would require a constitutional amendment.

Since 2009, Greenland has had the right to declare independence through a self-rule process requiring a referendum and approval by the Danish parliament. Autonomy is extensive but excludes foreign affairs and defence unless otherwise agreed.

Greenland has about 57,000 inhabitants, limited infrastructure, and no roads connecting its roughly 17 towns.

How are relations between Denmark and Greenland?

Relations have been strained by revelations of historical misconduct. In the 1950s, Danish authorities forcibly relocated Inuit communities to larger towns, marginalising indigenous practices and languages. Denmark apologised in 2022 for a 1950s experiment that sent Greenlandic children to Denmark.

Records also show that thousands of women and girls, some as young as 13, were fitted with intrauterine devices without consent between 1966 and 1991, when Greenland gained control of healthcare. Denmark apologised in 2025 for the decades-long birth control campaign.

A 2025 documentary alleged that Denmark and companies profited from a cryolite mine between 1853 and 1987 without benefiting local communities. Cryolite, used in aluminium production, was mined in Greenland at the world’s largest known deposit.

What is Greenland’s relationship with the EU?

Greenland joined the European Community in 1973 via Denmark but withdrew in 1985 after gaining home rule. It now holds Overseas Country and Territory status with the European Union, including a special fisheries arrangement.

What is the U.S. presence?

The U.S. military maintains a permanent presence at Pituffik air base in northwest Greenland under a 1951 agreement that grants Washington freedom to build bases with notification to Danish and Greenlandic authorities.

Denmark has historically accommodated the U.S. presence, citing its limited ability to defend Greenland independently and the security guarantees it receives through NATO.

Why does Trump want Greenland?

Trump has said acquiring Greenland is a national security priority. The shortest route from Europe to North America runs via Greenland, making it central to the U.S. ballistic missile early-warning system. Nuuk is geographically closer to New York than to Copenhagen.

Greenland lies at a geopolitical crossroads amid growing Arctic militarisation by NATO, Russia and China. The United States seeks to expand its military footprint, including radar systems to monitor waters used by Russian vessels and submarines. The island also holds mineral, oil and gas resources, though development has been slow.

What do Greenlanders want?

Polls show a majority of Greenlanders support independence in principle, though many caution against moving too quickly due to economic reliance on Denmark and concerns about becoming overly exposed to the United States.

Fishing accounts for more than 90% of exports, while Danish subsidies cover about half of the public budget, funding hospitals, schools and core infrastructure across the sparsely populated territory.

Independence could allow Greenland to associate with the United States under a Compact of Free Association, similar to arrangements with Micronesia, Palau and the Marshall Islands. Such agreements typically provide U.S. services and military protection in exchange for defence access.

What do Denmark and Greenland say?

When Trump offered to buy Greenland during his first presidential term, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the idea “absurd”.

Frederiksen and Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen reiterated in December 2025 that Greenland could not be annexed and that international security concerns did not justify such a move.