The key facts
- Trump: any attack on the US would pass through Greenland, where defenses would shoot down 'drones, missiles or any other weapons'
- Agreement with Denmark and Greenland (September, UN) expands the Pituffik base and creates defense zones in Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig
- Trump did not disclose details of US involvement in resource exploration; in August, reports of an American oil company operating in the east of the island raised concerns
Trump's statements on the island's strategic role
US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on October 14, 2026, that Greenland 'in terms of the security, defense, and offensive capabilities of the United States and Europe is unmatched.' According to him, any future attack on the US would have to pass through the island, 'where our defense will, on a regular basis, shoot down drones, missiles or any other types of weapons that have not even been invented yet.' Greenland lies on the shortest path for missiles between Russia and the US and holds an important place in Trump's plans to create the 'Golden Dome' defense shield. The island also possesses undeveloped deposits of rare earth elements and could become a key player as polar ice melts and new shipping routes open.
Announcement of resource exploration
Trump also stated: 'Massive exploration of oil, gas, and minerals is preparing to begin in our new and beautiful Greenland!' Citing experts, he claimed that 'the amount of easily accessible oil here is far greater than almost… anywhere in the world.' He did not provide details of possible US involvement. In August, media reports about preparatory work by an American oil company in a remote area of eastern Greenland raised concerns among local residents and the island's authorities.
Agreement with Denmark and Greenland
In September, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Trump signed a security agreement with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and head of the Greenland government Jens-Frederik Nielsen. According to the terms published by the Danish Foreign Ministry, the US will be able to expand its military presence through the modernization and enlargement of the Pituffik space base and the creation of new defense zones in Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig. The document provides for 'free access to defense zones throughout Greenland and movement between them, including territorial waters, by land, air, and sea,' as well as overflights and landings of American aircraft in any part of the island. The agreement does not fulfill Trump's earlier desire to annex the territory to the US, which he called necessary for 'national security.'
Reaction and context
Frederiksen stated that the treaty 'strengthens our shared security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic region,' while Nielsen noted that the agreement 'benefits all of us.' According to Euronews, at the height of the Cold War, the US had 17 military facilities on the island and more than 10,000 troops. Currently, according to the US Space Force, only one base remains operational — Pituffik, used for missile launch warning, missile defense, and space monitoring.
