Photo / Image: The HDMS Triton (F358), a Royal Danish navy vessel, approaches Greenland as seen from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma (WMEC 908), Aug. 15, 2020. Both vessel crews were participating in the 10th year of Operation Nanook. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Seaman Kate Kilroy/Released)
Geopolitical competition and recent diplomatic engagements have placed the future of Greenland in the headlines. Representatives from Greenland and Denmark met at the White House with senior U.S. officials (Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio) on January 14, 2026, to discuss Greenland’s status and security, with little to show for results. The meeting took place due to the Trump administration’s renewed emphasis on US control of Greenland. Denmark’s top diplomat, Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the talks ended in “fundamental disagreement.” (Washington Post, Jan 14, 2026)
The White House continues its campaign on the need for the United States to ‘own’ Greenland (NSI map) for its strategic security. It maintains that American ownership of the island is vital to defend against Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic. (SOF News, Nov 2025) On January 14th, 2026, the White House published the graphic below on Twitter/X (see link).
Greenlanders are opposed to the U.S. owning Greenland. Demonstrations have taken place outside the U.S. consulate in Nuuk, Greenland. The Premier of Greenland, Speaker of the Parliament, and other leaders led the protest. Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen announced:
“If we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark. We choose NATO, the Kingdom of Denmark, and the EU.”
Increased NATO Military Presence in Greenland. Several NATO nations have stepped up their presence in Greenland – with the intention to conduct future exercises and refine plans for the defense of Greenland from any aggressive actions by Russia or China. For the most part, this higher level of military activity is symbolic, responding to the rhetoric coming from the White House. Copenhagen’s Arctic commander says the increased military activity is precautionary and says that Greenland does not face an immediate external threat. (Politico, Jan 17, 2026)
NATO Troops in Greenland. Currently Denmark has more than 100 soldiers in Nuuk and about 100 soldiers in Kangerlussuaq. The head of the Danish Arctic Command, Major General Soren Andersen, says that this number will change over the course of the year. French special forces are reported to have arrived in Greenland to take part in training in Kangerlussuaq. The U.S. has about 150 military personnel at Pituffik Space Base (NSI), formerly known as Thule Air Base.
Arctic Endurance. Advance teams and liaisons of several NATO nations are arriving in Greenland to prepare for the deployment of Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, German, and French troops to participate in the Danish exercise called Operation Arctic Endurance. This is part of an expanded military presence in and around Greenland – in close cooperation with NATO. The purpose is to train the ability to operate under the unique Arctic conditions and to strengthen the alliance’s footprint in the Arctic (map, NSI) in conjunction with Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command. The head of Denmark’s Arctic Command, Soren Andersen, has invited (Berlingske, Jan 16, 2026) the United States to participate in the military exercise.
Arctic Sentry. A NATO strategic initiative called Arctic Sentry (Politico, Jan 15, 2026) is taking place in the Arctic region (NSI map) and on Greenland. This is a developing NATO concept that will be boosting NATO’s surveillance, deterrence, reconnaissance, and joint readiness in the Arctic – especially around Greenland. Currently, NATO personnel from several countries are in Greenland conducting a ‘site survey’ – scoping out the terrain, infrastructure, logistics, and coordination for future exercises and missions. Arctic Sentry is closely aligned with other NATO Arctic operations such as Baltic Sentry and Eastern Sentry as well as exercises like Cold Response and Arctic Edge.
Proposed Tariffs on NATO Allies. President Trump announced (AP, Jan 17, 2026) that on February 1, 2026, he will impose a 10% tariff on any goods sent to the US from 8 NATO countries for opposing the transfer of Greenland to the United States. Those tariffs will increase to 25% on June 1, 2026, until such time as a deal is reached for purchase of Greenland. In addition, responding to news that NATO countries have sent military personnel to Greenland in the past several days, Trump said on January 17, 2026:
“On top of everything else, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Finland have journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown. This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet. These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable.”
NATO Responds to Tariff Threats by U.S. A statement by eight NATO members said that they are committed to strengthening Arctic security as a shared transatlantic interest. It went on to say “The pre-coordinated Danish exercise “Arctic Endurance” responds to this necessity and it poses no threat to anyone.” The statement ends with:
“We stand in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland. Building on the process begun last week, we stand ready to engage in a dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that we stand firmly behind. Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. We will continue to stand united and coordinated in our response. We are committed to upholding our sovereignty.”
Greenland is important to the United States and the other NATO members because of its proximity to the Arctic region. The strategic importance of Greenland is due to four major factors:
- Early warning of intercontinental ballistic missile or long-range bomber attack
- The western anchor of the GUIK Gap (strategic maritime corridor for submarine transit)
- Opening of Arctic sea lanes due to climate change
- Natural resources becoming more accessible due to ice melt
The options expressed in the past by the Trump administration for the United States to increase the defensive posture of Greenland include buying Greenland, renegotiating changes to existing treaties with Denmark, or ‘taking Greenland.’ The Trump administration has not ruled out (CFR.org, Jan 16, 2026) military force. If left unresolved, the situation will likely weaken the mutual trust within the alliance and diminish the effectiveness of NATO.
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References:
“Strategic Importance of Greenland”, SOF News, January 14, 2026.
“Competition in the Arctic”, SOF News, November 6, 2025.
Articles about the Arctic Region by SOF News.
https://sof.news/?s=arctic
“Arctic Security”, National-Security.info. This resource is a product of SOF News. The web page links to over 30 news articles and documents concerning Arctic security – many of them SOF related.
https://www.national-security.info/topics/arctic-security.html
