While the world focuses on wars, sanctions, and the global economy, the White House quietly works on a project that seems strategic, absurd, and colonial all at once: the acquisition of Greenland. The idea first came from Donald Trump several years ago and was widely mocked. But now, as The Washington Post reports, the U.S. administration is seriously considering it as a real scenario — and at the highest level of government.
Not a joke, but a strategy: the White House is calculating Greenland’s “price tag”
According to three sources familiar with internal discussions, the Trump administration has commissioned an economic assessment of what it would cost to incorporate Greenland as a U.S. territory. It’s the most concrete step yet toward realizing Trump’s long-held ambition to expand American jurisdiction by acquiring this Arctic territory from Denmark.
Experts at the White House Office of Management and Budget are analyzing:
- the cost of providing public services to the island’s 58,000 residents
- potential revenue from Greenland’s natural resources
- the overall cost-benefit balance for the federal budget
- and even options to outbid Danish subsidies, which currently total around $600 million annually
“We’re willing to pay more than Denmark,” said a source close to the deliberations.
“We’ll get Greenland. One hundred percent.” — Trump
The former U.S. president has voiced his ambition over the world’s largest island numerous times. In an interview with NBC News, he stated flatly:
“We’ll get Greenland. One hundred percent.”
When asked if force might be used, Trump added:
“There’s a good chance we can do it without military intervention… but I’m not taking anything off the table.”
Does it sound provocative? Possibly. But behind this rhetoric lies concrete work by federal institutions. Trump’s Greenland idea is no longer a joke — it’s becoming part of America’s strategic agenda.
Why Greenland? Minerals, submarines, and melting ice
From a military strategist’s point of view, Greenland is far more than a frozen island. It’s:
- a control point between the Arctic and North Atlantic
- a potential base for nuclear submarines
- a region rich in rare earth and strategic minerals
- a territory where melting ice is opening up new shipping routes
According to former Trump adviser Steve Bannon:
“This is the most brilliant naval strategy in history, essential to protect the country forever. There will be a deal.”
Copenhagen in shock, Greenland defiant
Denmark and Greenland reacted strongly. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has already confirmed a trip to the island, aiming to demonstrate that Copenhagen has no intention of relinquishing control.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen wrote on Facebook:
“We must listen when others speak about us. But we must not be shaken. We must not act out of fear. We must respond with peace, dignity, and unity. And it is through these values that we must clearly and calmly show the American president that Greenland is ours.”
America’s voice: Trump looks for support from the public and business
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, accompanied by National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Second Lady Usha Vance, recently visited a U.S. military base in Greenland — the highest-level U.S. visit to the island in history.
On site, Vance declared:
“Denmark has failed. You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass filled with incredible people.
We can’t just ignore this place. We can’t just ignore the president’s desires. But most importantly, we can’t ignore what I said earlier — the Russian and Chinese encroachment in Greenland. We have to do more.”
“Another merger” and the legacy of expansion
According to The Washington Post, Trump sees Greenland as part of a new doctrine of U.S. expansion, reminiscent of the 19th century. He has referenced the idea of Manifest Destiny — America’s “obvious fate” to expand.
Even Canada and the Panama Canal have been mentioned as potential targets, but officials say Greenland is the most realistic and “easy” scenario.
As analyst Sam Hammond puts it:
“They’re trying to revive the spirit of the American frontier. That’s hard to quantify in monetary terms, but the real strategic benefits include Arctic control, building icebreakers, and access to natural resources.”
Economics: $200 billion — or $3 trillion?
The American Action Forum estimates Greenland’s mineral wealth at $200 billion, while its strategic value in the North Atlantic is closer to $3 trillion.
Doug Holtz-Eakin, president of the Forum, notes:
“Right now, we only have one monitoring point in the North Atlantic — Iceland. Greenland would give you that and access to new shipping lanes as the polar ice caps recede.”
But it’s not that simple: climate, opposition, and economics
Skeptics warn that mining in permafrost conditions is extremely risky. Some projects have already been blocked by local authorities. As former Biden administration official Alex Jacquez puts it:
“The idea that the U.S. is going to establish large-scale mining of deposits that haven’t been explored, may not be economical, and are currently under ice — in a country that doesn’t want us there — doesn’t pass the laugh test.”
In his view, this is just “a cover for Trump’s colonial fantasies” and a way for investors connected to him to make a quick buck.
Trump’s Greenland plans are neither bluff nor impulse. This is a strategy built on national security logic and potential economic gain.
Will there be a deal? No one knows. But what’s clear is this: the United States is taking the scenario seriously.
This article was prepared based on materials published by The Washington Post. The author does not claim authorship of the original text but presents their interpretation of the content for informational purposes.
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