President Donald Trump has renewed calls to purchase Greenland from Denmark, citing its critical national security value as melting Arctic ice opens new shipping lanes and mineral resources, according to CNN analysis on January 6, 2026. Top aide Stephen Miller reinforced the claim, stating the US holds legitimate rights over the autonomous Danish territory and no nation would militarily contest American control.
Greenland's vast rare earth minerals, potential oil reserves, and position guarding the GIUK Gap make it indispensable for countering Russia and China's Arctic expansion, with US bases like Thule Air Base already anchoring defense. Trump argues Denmark lacks capacity to secure it, echoing his first-term $1 trillion offer dismissed as absurd.
The push follows Maduro's US capture, fitting Trump's hemispheric dominance rhetoric threatening Panama Canal reclamation and Canadian integration, despite low domestic support 33% approve Venezuela action alone. Denmark's PM Mette Frederiksen called it "unacceptable," backed by NATO allies wary of escalation.
UK minister Kemi Badenoch's moral defense of US Venezuela moves contrasts European pushback, as Miller boasts unchallenged military superiority while polls show American fatigue for foreign adventures. Greenland's leaders reject sale talks, heightening transatlantic tensions.