A timeline of US President Donald Trump's interest in Greenland

US President Donald Trump's interest in acquiring Greenland, the semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, first came to public attention in 2019. The following is a timeline of events that have since fuelled a crisis between Washington and its European allies.

August, 2019: During his first term, Trump publicly expresses interest in buying Greenland for the US, while saying it is "not No. 1 on the burner." Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen dismisses the idea as "an absurd discussion." Trump later says he cancelled a planned trip to Denmark after Frederiksen made a "nasty" statement while rejecting his proposal.

December 22, 2024: Weeks before beginning his second term, President-elect Trump revives his interest in Greenland, saying that "the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity." Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Bourup Egede responds that "we are not for sale and will never be for sale."


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January 7, 2025: Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., visits Greenland. The president-elect says he will not rule out using military force to take control of the territory.

March 11, 2025: Greenlanders elect a new parliament, with Jens-Frederik Nielsen's Demokraatit party emerging as the winner. Soon after the election, all five parties in the legislature reject Trump's statements about the US taking control of Greenland.

March 27, 2025: Four of the five parties in Greenland's parliament agree to form a coalition government, with Nielsen becoming prime minister.

March 28, 2025: US Vice President JD Vance visits the US Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland and accuses Denmark of failing to invest sufficiently in the island's security.

March 29, 2025: Denmark's foreign minister rebukes the US over the tone of its criticism. Trump says he will never take "military force off the table."

August 27, 2025: Denmark's Foreign Ministry summons the top US diplomat in Copenhagen after a Danish broadcaster reports that at least three people linked to Trump had been conducting covert influence operations in Greenland.

December 21, 2025: Trump announces that Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry will serve as the US special envoy to Greenland. Landry says it is an honour to take on the role "to make Greenland a part of the US."

December 22, 2025: The leaders of Denmark and Greenland reiterate that the US will not take over Greenland. Denmark's foreign minister says he will summon the US ambassador.

January 4, 2026: Discussions over a possible US takeover of Greenland intensify after the US ousts Nicolas Maduro as president of Venezuela.

January 5, 2026: Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen says an American military takeover of Greenland would effectively mean the end of NATO.

January 6, 2026: Major European leaders join Frederiksen in issuing a statement defending Greenland's sovereignty. The White House says that "utilising the US military is always an option" for Trump.

January 8, 2026: Trump says in an interview that the US needs to possess all of Greenland rather than rely solely on a long-standing treaty that gives Washington broad rights to use the territory for military installations.

January 13, 2026: Greenlandic Prime Minister Nielsen says Greenland would choose Denmark "if we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now."

January 14, 2026: The Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers meet in Washington with Vice President Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The sides agree to establish a working group, but Denmark and the White House subsequently give sharply different accounts of its purpose. Denmark announces plans to strengthen its military presence in the Arctic, while several European allies say they will send small numbers of troops to Greenland for reconnaissance related to Arctic security. Danish media later report that Copenhagen prepared for a real conflict, including deploying explosives and blood supplies.

January 16, 2026: Trump says he may impose tariffs on countries that do not support US control of Greenland.

January 17, 2026: The president says he will impose a 10 per cent import tax from February on goods from eight European nations because of their opposition to US control of Greenland.

January 19, 2026: In an exchange of text messages with the Norwegian prime minister, Trump links his position on Greenland to his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize, saying that he no longer feels "an obligation to think purely of Peace."

January 21, 2026: Hours after saying he wants Greenland "including right, title and ownership," Trump drops the threatened tariffs against European countries. He says he has reached an agreement with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on a "framework of a future deal" on Arctic security.

January 28, 2026: Technical discussions between the US, Denmark and Greenland on an Arctic security agreement begin.

February 21, 2026: Trump says he will send a hospital ship to Greenland, alleging that many people there are sick and not receiving adequate care. His statement comes after Denmark's military says its forces evacuated a crew member of a US submarine from Greenland for urgent medical treatment. Greenlandic Prime Minister Nielsen responds, "no thank you," to the proposed hospital ship.

July 7, 2026: Trump renews tensions ahead of a NATO summit, saying Greenland "should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark." Frederiksen reiterates that Greenland is "not for sale" and says Denmark is "ready to defend every inch of NATO including our own territory" if attacked.

September 18, 2026: Trump announces that he has reached a deal to strengthen the US military presence in Greenland. Danish officials respond cautiously, with Frederiksen stressing that the proposed agreement recognises Denmark's sovereignty and the Greenlandic people's right to self-determination.