US Military Presence in Greenland Already Established

In a renewed push for American control over Greenland, former president Donald Trump has reiterated his stance that the United States requires the Arctic territory for national security purposes. His comments have once again thrust the strategic importance of this vast, ice-covered island into the global spotlight.

Greenland, home to approximately 57,000 people, holds immense strategic value due to its geographic position. Situated on the shortest missile route between Russia and the United States, the territory serves as a crucial component of America’s anti-missile defense system, according to Marc Jacobsen, an Arctic expert at the Royal Danish Defence College.

The U.S. military presence in Greenland dates back to World War II when, in 1941, Denmark—then under German occupation—authorized America to establish military bases on the island to protect the American continent. By the war’s end, the U.S. had constructed 15 military installations across Greenland. Today, only one remains active: the Pituffik air base on the northwestern coast, which U.S. Vice President JD Vance visited in March 2025.

Since 1951, a bilateral agreement between Denmark and the United States, revised in 2004, has granted the U.S. military significant operational freedom in Greenland. The agreement requires Washington to “consult with and inform the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark, including the Home Rule Government of Greenland, prior to the implementation of any significant changes to United States military operations or facilities in Greenland.”

Trump has criticized Denmark for allegedly failing to secure Greenland’s vast territory, which spans approximately 2.2 million square kilometers—roughly one-fifth the size of Europe. In response to such criticism, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated that Copenhagen has substantially increased its security investments in the region, allocating 1.2 billion euros to Greenlandic security in 2025 alone.

Danish defense initiatives extend beyond the iconic Sirius patrol—a unit of 12 soldiers and 70 dogs that traverses northeastern Greenland by dogsled. Recent investments include five new Arctic vessels, an advanced air radar alert system, drones, and sea patrol aircraft. Additionally, Denmark plans to construct a new subsea telecommunications cable connecting Greenland directly to the Danish mainland, supplementing existing cables that link the island to Iceland and Canada.

The growing attention to Greenland reflects wider geopolitical tensions in the Arctic. A recent Danish military intelligence report identified Russia, China, and the United States as competing powers seeking “a greater role” in the region. Climate change has heightened the territory’s strategic importance, as melting polar ice opens new shipping routes and makes Greenland’s untapped rare earth deposits more accessible.

Despite Trump’s assertions, experts note that Chinese and Russian presence in Greenland remains limited. In August 2025, two Chinese research vessels were observed operating in Arctic waters approximately 1,000 kilometers north of Greenland—far from coastal areas. “It’s important that Donald Trump understands that there are not Russian and Chinese ships along the coast of Greenland,” Jacobsen emphasized.

China’s economic footprint in Greenland is similarly modest. Chinese company Shenghe Resources holds a 6.5 percent stake in Australian mining group Energy Transition Minerals, which aims to develop rare earth deposits in southern Greenland, though this project is currently suspended. A previous attempt by a Chinese state-owned company to provide technical support for new Greenlandic airports was thwarted when Denmark and the U.S. offered alternative financing contingent on excluding Chinese contractors.

Both the Greenlandic government in Nuuk and Danish authorities in Copenhagen have consistently maintained that Greenland is not for sale, emphasizing that only Greenlanders can determine their territory’s future. The current coalition government in Greenland has no immediate plans for independence from Denmark.

While the Naleraq party, which supports swift independence and placed second in Greenland’s March elections, is not part of the governing coalition, its official position rejects both Danish and American control, stating: “Naleraq does not want Greenlanders to become American. Just as we do not want to be Danish.” Public sentiment appears to align with this stance—a poll published in Danish and Greenlandic media last year indicated that 85 percent of Greenlanders opposed joining the United States.