Donald Trump is playing Monopoly with Greenland. On Air Force One on January 11, President Trump told reporters about his obsession with acquiring Greenland, and then he framed it as an urgent national security need.
“If we don’t take Greenland, Russia or China will,” he said. “And I’m not letting that happen.”
His comments came during an interaction with reporters where he spoke about everything from Iran and oil tankers to NATO funding and Arctic military bases. But he has made it clear that Greenland is going to be America’s largest real estate deal soon.
Trump said Greenland’s location makes it essential, as melting ice opens new shipping routes and exposes rare earth resources. He also said that Greenland’s military amounts to “two dog sleds” and that Russian and Chinese submarines and destroyers are prowling in the nearby waters of Greenland. “You really need ownership,” Trump said.
“You (…) need [a] title as they say in the real estate business.”
Trump is openly talking about Greenland like it’s a real-estate flip.
He just said the U.S. “needs” Greenland for national security, dismissed Denmark’s sovereignty, mocked their military, and compared it to the Louisiana Purchase, while naming a U.S. governor as a “special… pic.twitter.com/YKw9Ykuu97
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) December 29, 2025
The White House has since confirmed to the BBC that the government is discussing “a range of options” to acquire Greenland, including the use of the U.S. military. Officials say that they’ll prefer buying the territory from Denmark but have not ruled anything out. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly said that the U.S. does not plan to invade Greenland but might like a purchase or a Compact of Free Association. That definitely didn’t reassure Europe.
As of now, Denmark controls Greenland’s defense and foreign policy, and they too have pushed back hard. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that a U.S. attack on Greenland would spell the end of NATO. Six European allies (including the UK, France, and Germany) issued a statement reaffirming that Greenland’s future can only be decided by itself and Denmark.
Trump, on the other hand, said, “I’m the one [who] saved NATO.” He repeated his claim that he forced allies to raise defense spending. He concluded, “If [Greenland] affects NATO, then it affects NATO.”
“If it affects NATO, it affects NATO. They need us more than we need them.”
Trump says Greenland should take a deal he admits he hasn’t offered, makes it clear he does not care if attacking Greenland ends NATO.
Again: ending NATO is a Putin goal. That is no coincidence. pic.twitter.com/9jTfHedgFJ
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) January 12, 2026
Polls suggest Greenland’s 57,000 residents overwhelmingly oppose becoming part of the United States. Some of them told the BBC they feel like their homeland is being discussed as an asset. Others in remote northern communities are already dealing with climate change and economic hardship, so they see little difference between foreign masters.
Trump first had the idea of acquiring Greenland in 2019, as he called it “a large real estate deal.” This time, there’s renewed military assertiveness and strained alliances.
But how much can the post-war international order bend?
NEXT UP: NATO Chief Warns U.S. After Donald Trump Reveals Plans to Take Greenland
