Trump’s Greenland Push Sparks Global Unease, Seen as Bid to Expand U.S. Hegemony at the Cost of Sovereignty
U.S. President Donald Trump has once again set off international controversy by asserting that the United States needs to “own” Greenland to prevent Russia and China from expanding their influence in the Arctic.
The remarks, made to reporters in Washington, have intensified criticism that Trump is pursuing an aggressive, expansionist vision of American power that sits uneasily with the modern global order.
Trump argued that ownership—not alliances or long-term leases—is the only reliable way to defend territory.
“Countries have to have ownership, and you defend ownership, you don’t defend leases,” he said, adding that the United States would have to defend Greenland.
He suggested Washington could achieve this objective “the easy way” or “the hard way,” comments that many analysts see as thinly veiled coercion.
The statements followed indications from the White House that it was exploring the possibility of purchasing the semi-autonomous territory, while not ruling out other options.
Both Denmark and Greenland have categorically rejected the idea, stressing that the territory is not for sale.
Danish officials have warned that any military move would fracture the transatlantic defence partnership and undermine the very alliances the United States claims to protect.
Greenland’s strategic importance is undeniable. Its position between North America and the Arctic makes it crucial for early-warning missile defence systems and for monitoring naval movement in increasingly contested polar waters.
Trump described Greenland as vital to U.S. national security and claimed—without presenting evidence—that it was “covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place.”
The United States already maintains a military footprint in Greenland, with more than 100 personnel stationed at Pituffik Space Base in the island’s northwest.
Operated by the U.S. since World War II, the base allows Washington, under agreements with Denmark, to deploy additional forces if required.
Yet Trump dismissed such arrangements as insufficient, arguing that even century-long agreements fall short without outright ownership.
“I love the people of China. I love the people of Russia,” Trump said, before adding, “But I don’t want them as a neighbour in Greenland.”
His comments have drawn a sharp response from allies. Members of NATO, including major European nations and Canada, have publicly backed Denmark, stressing that only Denmark and Greenland have the right to decide the territory’s future.
They have emphasized that Arctic security must be managed collectively by allies and within the framework of international law, including respect for sovereignty and established borders.
Political observers say Trump’s Greenland rhetoric fits a broader pattern—an attempt to reinforce U.S. dominance by asserting control over strategically valuable land, even if it means trampling on the rights and identities of smaller nations.
In an era when countries across the world are increasingly determined to safeguard their autonomy and territorial integrity, such an approach is being viewed as outdated and confrontational.
Many analysts warn that this hard-edged strategy has turned Trump into an international irritant, rather than a consensus-builder.
The perception gaining ground globally is that Washington, under Trump, seeks to maintain its number-one position not through cooperation or innovation, but by pressuring others and laying claim to their resources and territory.
As the world moves toward multipolarity, critics argue, efforts to “own” influence rather than share responsibility risk isolating the United States and weakening the very global order it once helped create.
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